Opposites Attract
by crazy-noodle
Summary: The truth defied all that she ever believed. It forced her to think, behave and even be like the people she hated the most; the purebloods who had been her enemies earlier now fawned over her and she...she was the enemy to all her fellow mudbloods.
1. Prolouge

AN:Well i finally got a beta reader and she edited the first chapter. It's about the same except for a few grammar changes and spelling corrections. Cheer dear beta, you rock my world.

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"Hermione wake up! We're leaving in an hour!" Ron Weasly yelled from downstairs. Hermione woke up and rubbed her eyes trying to get the sleepiness out of her system. She had not gotten any sleep the last night having been too excited over the beginning of the new school year. She was finally in her seventh year, her last ever year in Hogwarts. She looked around the room and felt confused over where she was.  
  
This wasn't her room. Her room was baby-blue and didn't have a slanted roof. Sitting up on bed she realized that the room's walls were flashing every single color in the world. The ceiling, which was slanted, was covered with moving pictures of good looking wizards who were at that particular moment winking and waving at Hermione  
  
She looked to the door and saw Ginny Weasly walking out of the bathroom. Her hair was wrapped in a towel and she had on a pair of ratty old pajamas which were up to her ankles revealing fair skin that hardly saw the sun. Hermione sat and observed as Ginny walked over to an old cabinet and opened it. Out jumped a banshee, it's skin a pale green and scabby. It's eyes bulging out of it's sockets. Abnormally long fingers with needle sharp fingernails reached around Ginny's throat and it started screaming at the top of it's lungs.  
  
"Oh shut up you," Ginny said almost affectionately as she had grown accustomed to the boggart in her cabinet and treated it like a pet. She picked out clothes as the boggart hovered around in the form of a banshee having nothing to do as Ginny was not scared by it. Ginny picked up a leather mini skirt and a aqua spaghetti strapped top and walked into the bath room still not realizing that Hermione was awake.  
  
She emerged looking very self-conscious and pulling down the tips of the mini skirt. "It's called a mini-skirt for a certain reason, Ginny," Hermione said laughing at her friend who was trying so hard to not try hard.  
  
Ginny grinned back saying, "You're finally awake I see," and then asked Hermione how muggles dressed in the middle of summer. Hermione decided that she may as well help Ginny as she had never worn such clothes.  
  
Sighing she reached for her wand and charmed the skirt so it became shorter and Ginny's eyes grew wide at that. Next she shrunk the aqua blue spaghetti strap top. It became tiny and Ginny's eyes widened further. "Well you did ask me how muggles dressed..." Hermione said giggling.  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes and walked over to the mirror. She looked alright but too pale. "Hermione, I'm to pale to wear this and if muggles wear so little, then what's the point of even wearing them," Ginny whined. Hermione grinned and said that the muggle girls in the neighborhood all dressed like that.  
  
"Oh, I know what to do about your paleness. It's called self tanner. If you use it right then you'll have a gorgeous tan but if you don't...you'll closely resemble an orange but unfortunately I have never used on myself," Hermione explained. Ginny seemed to be mulling things over in her mind.  
  
"Oh my god. If muggles can do it so can I, but I'll use magic," she said. Ginny then rushed to the bathroom. In about ten minutes she came out...orange. Hermione tried her best to not laugh but it burst out of her and soon she was rolling on the ground while Ginny watched her disapprovingly, her orange cheeks now sprouting blotches of red from either embarrassment or anger. She put her hands on her hips but it was rather hard to look forbidding when as she was covered in Orange and looking strange instead of forbidding.  
  
Hermione's laughter came to a halt after awhile and she muttered a quick spell and the orange darkened into a gorgeous tan.  
  
"Thanks Mione'. You're the best," Ginny said giving Hermione a hug and squealing. "You do know that you'll never live it down right," Hermione asked with an uncharacteristic smirk on her face.  
  
She then went up to her dresser which was creaking under the weight of all the accessories and make-up she had. She then reached for a simple silver chain and clasped it around her neck. She reached for her makeup then looked over at Hermione to make sure that she was not over doing it. Hermione nodded and she continued. First she put on foundation and blusher and then put on lip gloss and an earthy brown eye-shadow.  
  
Hermione had her suspicions and wanted the truth from the horse's mouth. She raised an eyebrow and asked Ginny if she was still bent on impressing Harry. Ginny blushed tomato red and that could even be seen through her tan.  
  
"No! What made you think of such a ludicrous thing?" Ginny replied to quickly and the expression on her face contradicted her sentence. She had on a look of fear as though she thought that Hermione would tell Harry about how Ginny felt.  
  
"Right..." Hermione teased, knowing that her friend truly did like Harry.  
  
"Oh...okay. I still do like him and well, I think I look decent enough and am nice enough for Harry to like back," Ginny muttered, her eyes downcast.  
  
'Ginny don't speak like that! You are gorgeous and if Harry can't see how sweet you are he must be blind," Hermione said trying her best to console her friend and also regretting even starting the topic.  
  
"Then why did he go out with Cho? He knows I like him Mione' he just must find me horrendous," Ginny said both frustrated and a little bit out of desperation.  
  
Hermione went over and gave Ginny a reassuring hug telling her that if Harry didn't like her back then he just couldn't be worth it  
  
"Thanks Mione. You're the best! So...any guy in your life right now?" Ginny teased back having gotten the upper-hand on the conversation  
  
"Nope, I'm concentrating on doing well in my NEWTS," Hermione replied before entering the bathroom.  
  
"Hermione you are such a boring person," Ginny called after her before breaking into fits of giggles  
  
After a hot shower with her favorite vanilla scents, Hermione came out dressed in a pair of flared jeans and a white-tee shirt with the words "rip curl" on them. Examining herself in the mirror she thought back and realized that she hadn't changed much physically. She had grown taller and that was about the only difference.  
  
She thanked her lucky stars for her blemish free face as she had seen how all her friends suffered from acne. Her bushy, untamable hair hung at back length as she tried her best to get all the water out of it as she knew from experience that it would definitely frizz if there was any more water left in it. Wringing water out of her hair she muttered a charm and all of her sudden her hair was dry again.  
  
Ginny had tried her best to convince Hermione that she let her straighten her hair since the time she set foot in the house but thankfully to no avail. Hermione preferred her hair to be left alone and she personally felt that she did not bother to keep fussing over her hair. She much rather just leave it be at it's easily manageable status. Pulling her dried hair into a high ponytail she looked at the clock and shrieked. No not because the banshee had taken her by shock but because she had only fifteen minutes left. Bewitching her trunk so that it shrunk and became weightless, she put it in her jeans pocket and thundered down the stairs.  
  
There she saw all the Weaslys scarfing down food as Fred and George had taken a break from their booming careers as pranksters to come by for summer. Charlie had come down from Romania to spend time with his family and Bill being transferred to Gringotts now lived with his parents. His girlfriend Melissa was there and the whole family had accepted her into their fold as she was so likeable.  
  
She smiled at Hermione when she caught her eyes. Melissa's eyes were an electric blue that were ever so familiar but no one could put their finger on where they had seen them before. She had such a sweet personality that everyone took to her and she seemed to rival Fred and George at having tricks up her sleeves. She was a blonde thought thankfully didn't act like a ditz and she had Bill Weasly wrapped around her finger.  
  
Even Percy had taken a few days off to come spend the last few days of summer with family and for Percy taking a few days off work was a big thing. Hermione looked over at Ron one of her two best friends. He still had flaming red hair but wasn't tall and gangly anymore. Instead he had muscles from quidditch and though he still towered over her it wasn't by so much as she too had grown taller. She looked over at Ginny and saw that she was wearing a huge trench coat. Hermione gave her a knowing glance. Melissa caught that glance and grinned.  
  
As Melissa was sitting right beside Ginny she leaned over and nudged her. She then told Ginny that if she wanted the trench coat idea to work she should use a long skirt underneath it. Ginny nodded and with a wave of a wand a long black skirt hung from the inside of the trench coat. Ginny peaked in and saw that it was in fact stitched around the inner part of the trench coat.  
  
"How do you know all this?" Ginny asked as Hermione settled beside her and grabbed a piece of toast.  
  
"How do you think I got out of the house wearing what I wore to hook this stud," she said slipping her arms around Billy's shoulders.  
  
"Stud? Him? Oh well one for ones own I guess but wow Bill I never knew you went for skimpily clad girls after all the lectures you gave me for wearing a spaghetti strapped blouse," Ginny said sarcastically. Bill glared at Ginny and told her that is she ever did anything as stupid as try to hook her guy by wearing skimpy clothes he would have a mouthful to say. Then adding that he was in fact a stud.  
  
"You didn't seem to think it was stupid when I tried," Melissa said playfully punching his shoulder. He raised his eyebrows and smiled at her before saying, "Well it's different."  
  
"Different? and how so? Do explain darling brother," Ginny said standing up and putting her hands on her hips.  
  
"You know Ginny, when you do that you really look like mum," Bill said laughing.  
  
"And what is wrong with that Bill?" his mother said leaning against the doorframe carrying a plate of bacon.  
  
"Umm...nothing," Bill said racking his mind for and excuse. By now Melissa, Mrs. Weasly and Ginny had ganged up on poor Bill and he was in a corner.  
  
"Now would be a good time to run, wouldn't it?" Bill asked trying to charm his way out of the situation. Unfortunately for him it didn't work and all three females answered, "Yes!" simultaneously.  
  
"Alrighty. Well see you guys later. Oh and Hermione, Ron and Ginny have a good year at Hogwarts." He said before in a flash he apperated with a loud crack.  
  
"You can apperate Bill Weasly but you can't hide," Ginny said before muttering, "male chauvinistic pig," under her breath. Melissa heard that swatted Ginny before grinning and saying, "Hey that's the love of my life you're talking about." Soon all of them were rolling on the floor hysterical with laughter. Fred and George got up and congratulated their mother, their sister and their soon to be sister-in-law for winning the Otter awards for acting. They had watched some television and happened to catch the Oscar awards and thought is was hilarious as they didn't understand why muggles were making such a big deal about getting a slab of glass. Also they kept mixing up the words Oscar with Otter.  
  
Unable to get Ministry cars as at the moment all ministry resources were limited and the budgeting was tight ever since the fact that Voldemort being back was released to the public, they called a cab since only Hermione, Ginny and Ron were going to Hogwarts that year. They bewitched all their trunks to become pocket sized since all of them were of age, and they were off.  
  
Finally they reached Kings cross station and waked around aimlessly as they realized that there was still ten minutes before the barrier opened. Ron asked Ginny of she was warm wearing a trench coat in the middle of summer. Ginny nodded and told Ron not to have a fit. She pulled off the coat and held it in front of as a shield.  
  
Finally deciding that she might as well face the music she let Ron see what she was wearing. Ron seemed to be expanding. He turned red, from anger this time. "Generva Weasly what the bloody hell are you wearing?" Ginny shrunk behind Hermione as her brother broke into another lecture of not wearing skimpy clothes. Suddenly she blocked out her brothers words. She gazed dreamily at the approaching boy or maybe man.  
  
She let out a sigh and Hermione saw what she was looking at. Hermione nudged Ginny and muttered for her to play up the attitude.  
  
"What is up with you Gin? Don' tell me you still have a thing for him?" Ron asked derisively catching her gaze. Ron could not believe what his sister had dared to wear and he had to put a stop to her crush on Harry as when Harry saw that Ginny was no more a little girl there might be a chance for Harry to ask her out and then his parents would kill him.  
  
"So what if I do?" Ginny replied defensively. She was sick and tired of her brother's over protectiveness. She had told herself to break free this year and today she would take the first step.  
  
"So...I'll have to tell him that," Ron retorted with a smirk, knowing that if he made things uncomfortable between the two it would be impossible for them to get together.  
  
He had expected Ginny to beg him not to but instead Ginny just said, "If you want to." Hermione glared at him. Sometimes Ron was so shallow. Harry walked over when he finally saw his friends. He then greeted them saying, "Hi guys. What's up?"  
  
"Nothing much except we just found out that Ginny's still in wuv with you," Ron said grinning evilly at his sister. Ginny told herself not to loose control. She smiled coolly at Harry and said, "Don't mind, Ron fell down the steps today tripping his abnormally large feet and fell on his head; hard." Harry laughed and then noticed Hermione, whom gave him a hug and then shouted at him.  
  
"Not even a letter during summer! We thought you disappeared off the face of earth!" she shouted. Ginny stood at the sidelines.  
  
"Yet again I'm forgotten by the golden trio," she thought to herself bitterly as she watched the three of them chat on about what happened during summer. Hermione noticed that Ginny was standing by the side and not engaging in the conversation.  
  
She told the guys to go ahead and went to Ginny's side and asked her what was wrong. Ginny just shook her head and muttered a nonchalant, "nothing."  
  
Hermione on the other hand realized that it ran deeper than that. "Ginny. You're one of my best friends why don't you just tell me what's wrong?" Hermione asked concerned.  
  
"I'm your best friend. Right. That's exactly why you forget all about me whenever Ron and Harry are around," Ginny said sarcastically but her eyes only showed hurt. Hermione apologized and asked Ginny why she considered herself to be apart from the group when all of them thought of her as part of it.  
  
Ginny raised an eyebrow and looked skeptical. Hermione shrugged saying that, that was the way she felt. Ginny squealed and gave her a hug. "Hey Gins, I have an idea. Why don't you ask Harry out instead of waiting for Merlin to grow old?" Hermione suggested then adding that she was proud of the way Ginny had acted when Ron had behaved so insufferably.  
  
Both of them made their way into the train station through the barrier. They saw Harry and Ron up ahead, both of them climbing into a compartment. They pushed their way through the crowd and got to the compartment and walked in. Ron and Harry were already immersed in a conversation on quidditch.  
  
Ginny stood in front of Harry, blocking Ron from view. She was playing up the attitude and leaning against the table almost in a seductive manner. "You greet Hermione with a hug and I don't even get a hello?" she demanded. Thankfully she had her back to Ron as even the bravest knight would have quaked under his gaze. Harry looked at her as though he was seeing her for the first time.  
  
"Ginny...your clothes...you look hot...er... different," he said changing his sentence after getting a death glare from Ron. "Harry, would you like to go out with me on the next Hogsmeade weekend?" Ginny asked coolly. Harry looked from her to Ron and back to her again.  
  
"If Ron here doesn't kill me by then, I would love to," Harry replied smiling at Ginny. Ginny felt like she was on seventh heaven and she told Harry that she would confirm the time they would meet later and left to catch up with her other friends. Turning back she saw Ron expanding and looking like a puffer-fish as he kept inhaling air but forgetting to exhale.  
  
"Exhale, Ron, Exhale," Ginny said sarcasm dripping from her every word. Harry chortled and Hermione smiled. Hermione had hoped that Harry would ask Hermione out by today. But never did she think it would go the other way.  
  
"Generva Weasly, you are NOT going out with Harry or any other guy in the near future," Ron bellowed. Ginny turned on him and pointed her finger at him before remarking scathingly, "And who died and made you king of the world? I can and will go out with Harry and guess what? You can't do anything about it, can you?" At that she decided that she would add the final blow; make sure that Ron realized that he did not run her life. Pulling Harry up by grabbing the collar of his shirt, pushed him against the wall and kissed him. Ron gaped. He wondered how Ginny had gotten so confident of herself. He was speechless as he watched his best friend and sister make out against the wall. "Ginny stop necking with Harry this very instant!" Ron shouted once he found his voice. Both of them ignored him and even Hermione had to admit that it was getting rather nauseating. Harry was shocked. Ginny looked so different and she had changed in character as well. Right now he was pressed against the wall kissing a girl who he had just agreed to go out with and also happened to be his best friend's sister. He saw Ron glaring at them but decided to ignore him. Closing his eyes he kissed her back. Ron strode up to the two and pulled them apart. "Wait till the rest of the brother's hear about this." he threatened her. "You wouldn't dare..." Ginny said a little unsure of herself. She knew that if her brothers got involved Harry might have to dump her as the lengths they went to 'protect' their little sister were undeniably harsh, stretching from pranks on the poor fellow to threats on their masculinity. They had managed to scare off Dean and all other boyfriends before him, but she really liked Harry, ever since she was young. She knew that he wouldn't back down once he wanted something and she now wanted him to want her. She leaned over and kissed the stunned Harry lightly on the lips and whispered to him that she would see him later. She then flounced off and all three of them gaped after her. Harry was the first to recover. "Feisty," he muttered and gave a low whistle. He was stunned. Looks like little Ginny had grown up, he thought to himself. "God she's a good kisser," he murmured under his breath. Unfortunately for him, Ron overheard him.  
  
"Harry James Potter, you might be my best friend and all but hurt even a single hair on my sister's head and I will personally murder you, chop you into tiny pieces and feed you to buckbeak," Ron said still rather stunned at what his usually passive sister had said.  
  
Hermione left to change into her robes and once she came back she saw Harry and Ron already changed. After awhile Ginny entered and they sat about chatting about nothing in particular until the train pulled into a stop and the castle came into view. Ron still was staring angrily at the laughing duo, thoughts of the earlier events clouding his good mood. He knew that his brothers would kill him. They had all taken it into their heads that Ginny had to be looked out for and now they would blame him for getting the most stubborn person on earth, his sister together with her crush of many years, the second most stubborn person in the world, Harry. When the train pulled into a stop all of them got off the train and walked towards the Horseless Carriages and entered one of them.  
  
Finally they recoiled on the comfortable seats as the carriage pulled them up to the entrance of the castle. Finally they reached their destination and unloaded off the carriage. They walked into the castle. Even thought they had all lived there for six years, five for Ginny, they still lost their breaths looking at the beautiful view and the majestic castle.  
  
Soon the crowds pushed them into the halls and they settled down at the Gryffindor table awaiting the beginning of the sorting ceremony to begin.

END

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AN:Heyhey peeps. Don't worry about me I'm alive and kicking. Working on the next chapter...as in the seventh chapter. There are loads of surprises. Have I whetted your appetites. Oh yeah I'll be posting the beta read chapters up once she's done with them and chapter seven will be up by monday latest. Sapphire out. (Ryan Seacrest style)


	2. Chapter 1

This is yet to be beta read. Oh yeah, I'm looking for one to help me with my french in the next few chapters. Its is essential. Don't worry people...there will be an explanation in english. I want someone from france. Accostomed to the french culture, with the manner of the french ingrained into them in such a way it would seem natural. The elegance of the french must shine through it all. Please oh please...god I sound super pompous. You can tell I'm not french. Yeah...Oh yeah read and review

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"Err...Hermione, P...professor Dumbledore w...wants to see you," stuttered a third year student managing a shaky smile. Hermione smiled encouragingly when she looked up to see a third year Hufflepuff who had green eyes and a nervous grin. She was shifting her weight from one foot to another and fidgeting with her hands.  
  
"Harry, Ron. I'll go see Dumbledore now, he seems to want to see me. Maybe it's about the head girl position," she informed her friends.  
  
"Hurry up 'Mione or Ron might just finish the whole feast," Harry said poking fun at Ron. Hermione turned back to see both her best friends feigning a fight. Ron threw a fake punch at Harry who pretended to be wounded before faking a kick at Ron. Hermione shook her head at the immaturity of her friends, though she was happy that Harry had lightened up from how he was in their sixth year.  
  
They had definitely changed...a whole lot. Over the holidays Harry and Ron had developed a need to portray their masculinity to everyone, thus acted like jerks at every possible time.  
  
They had changed physically as well. Long gone were the days when Ron was tall and gangly. He might be tall now but Harry rivaled him standing at 6 foot 1 just one inch shorter than Ron. Also quidditch had done them a lot of good as they were extremely muscular. Ron was much more muscular than Harry being a beater than Harry who was lithe from being a seeker. Ron had become a beater after the Weasly twins, Fred and George left school that memorable day. The portion of the swamp still remained paying a tribute to the unlikely heroes that were also the trouble makers of the century  
  
Of course to Hermione they were the same old, sometimes annoying, extremely over-protective Harry and Ron. She remembered how they had reacted when she was dating Victor Krum, the Bulgarian national seeker in their fourth year. Rolling her eyes as she thought back to all the times they had been together. They were her best friends followed by Ginny. She wondered if they would remain as close after they left Hogwarts.  
  
Beside Harry sat Ginny and Hermione realized that Ginny truly was very pretty. She seemed to be radiating with happiness from within most probably due to the incident in the train. Hermione smiled at her. Hermione was happy for Ginny. She had always thought the two of them were perfect for each other. Shaking her head to clear the many thoughts from it she turned toward the exit.  
  
As she made her way to exit of the Great Hall, she heard many of the girls talking about Harry and Ron. "They've definitely grown during the summer holidays," commented a Ravenclaw fourth year before breaking into fits of giggles. Hermione rolled her eyes at this. She then realized that even though Harry and Ron were now most probably the most sought after males in Hogwarts itself, she could never bring herself to think of them as more than brothers.  
  
She walked to the gargoyle behind which Dumbledore's office resided. Even the gargoyle brought back memories of their fifth year. She remembered the time she, Harry and Ron had misled Umbridge into believing that there was a weapon and bringing her to where the "weapon" was.  
  
She saw Firenze canter by. He waved at her and told her that he was finally on good terms with the other centaurs in the forest. Hermione congratulated him. Firenze who still lived in the castle as both he and Professor Trewalany thought Divination was best of friends with Hermione, Ron and Harry.  
  
It was dark in the hallway and she was getting quite hungry the pumpkin pasties that she had eaten on the train seemed to be long ago and she hoped that it would be over soon so that she could go and get some food.  
  
Suddenly she noticed that leaning against the wall was an extremely tall, well-built figure. Hermione walked up to the figure unable to make out who it was in the darkness. She tapped on his back and in a millisecond found herself smashed against the stone wall. Malfoy looked down and saw that it was her. His gray eyes not showing any emotion as though he had no soul. Hermione blinked and lost her ability to speak in shock.  
  
"Don't ever touch me Mudblood," He hissed into her ear pushing her against the wall again. Hermione winced in pain and looked up again only to see that he was still looking at her as though she was something disgusting stuck to the sole of his shoe.  
  
"Malfoy," she spat as though the word left a bad taste in her mouth when she finally found her voice. She had hated him all her life and vice- versa. Her tormentor for all those years stood in front of her staring at her with hate. Oh how she hated him and what she would do to slap him.  
  
She smirked inwardly at that thought when she remembered the instance in her third year when Malfoy had insulted one time too many and when she slapped him for it. If only she could do that again but right now she knew it was dangerous as he was much stronger than her and Harry and Ron were not there to help in case things got out of hand.  
  
He towered over her making him a good six-foot-four. His cold, steel gray eyes flashed dangerously, daring her to retort. His sharp features making him look forbidding. She decided to bite back her sarcastic remark as from the look on his face she knew that all he needed for an excuse to hurt her, would be for her to retort.  
  
Her shoulders were beginning to ache from the pressure he was exerting on them by pressing her against the wall. The cold stone walls were uncomfortable and she could do nothing but just stand there limply, something she didn't like at all was feeling helpless.  
  
She squirmed trying to get away from him and thought of yelling for help, but she had too much pride to let Malfoy know that he had managed to cause her pain. That would mean that she was accepting defeat. She was stuck, she could do nothing about the situation and also screaming would mean accepting defeat to her arch nemesis, Malfoy. As she was contemplating a voice cut through her thoughts like a hot knife through butter.  
  
"Is there a problem Mr. Malfoy? Ms. Granger?" a somewhat bemused sounding voice asked. Malfoy let go of Hermione and backed away, he looked at her assuming right away that she would tell on him as all he ever seem to catch her doing was either reading or being an all round goody-goody-two- shoes. Hermione caught that look and brushed her robes before replying, "Why nothing at all Professor." She knew what he thought about her.  
  
She knew that he only thought of her as a mudblood with no personality. She knew that she had nothing to prove but when he shot her that all knowing look she felt her blood begin to boil. She wondered why he was there; never did it occur to her that he was head boy. Again Dumbledore spoke breaking her line of thoughts.  
  
"Would both of you kindly step into my office please," Professor Dumbledore asked and then said the password (Acid Pops). Hermione smiled as she thought about how sweet toothed the headmaster was. Both of them entered his office and Malfoy being in there for the first time gaped.  
  
Sure the Manor had many interesting things but they unfortunately were all dark objects, not that he minded. He whiled away many hours just experimenting with the queer things he had at home. On the other hand, he had never seen anything like Dumbledore's office.  
  
It was a circular room. The first thing he noticed was a phoenix. It's plumage was gold, red and orange and it held itself with the same pride that the bird he had at home did. Obviously it wasn't a phoenix, in fact it was dragonian. The complete opposite of a phoenix. Its song struck terror in the hearts of good and its tears caused nothing but damage. They had named in Hermes as he was a messenger of some sort. It seemed to always be in a foul temper and never let anyone touch it but Narcissa, his mother, it's owner.  
  
Snapping out of his thoughts he looked around the room and saw many interesting instruments giving out a noise in the background. He jumped as a machine behind started to hum. Hermione gave a look that evidently meant that she thought he was weird and sat down on one of the two armchairs in front of his desk while Draco sat on the opposite end of his seat showing his disgust at her openly. Dumbledore settled onto the seat on front of them.  
  
"As Head boy and girl, both of you have many duties to perform. You have the right to take away points from houses and I trust you will reign justly," at that Dumbledore looked directly at Malfoy.  
  
"Also you will assign the prefects their duties tomorrow at the prefectorial board meetings. You will organize balls and other parties of course checking with me first. We have an upcoming ball planned for Valentine's Day in February and lastly the password to your quarters is 'Inky Quills'. You will have separate rooms but will share a bathroom and the common room. Yes that is about all. Oh and the feast is almost over so if you follow me to your quarters now, I will send for food to be there immediately," Professor Dumbledore said. He looked at both the people sitting in front of him, both at the edge of their seats behaving as though the other had an incurable disease.  
  
They followed him in silence as he led them to their quarters. "I have to live with that Mudblood?" Malfoy thought but little did he know that Hermione had a thought along the same lines running across her mind at that very moment. He wondered what his father would have to say about him sharing a quarters with a mudblood. He would definitely throw a fit. Malfoy smirked as he realized that he now had the ability to make Hermione's life a living hell.  
  
They came to the portrait of an extremely pretty lady wearing a empire-waisted gown. She had her long brown hair up in a bun with tendrils framing her face. She had green eyes that twinkled when she smiled at them.  
  
"I'm Ella Enchanted and how may I help you unless of course you are the new head girl and boy," she said in an implacable accent. "Hello Ella, How are you this fine day? Oh and these two here are the new heads. Oh and the password is Inky Quills" Dumbledore said smiling slightly at her. She smiled back sweetly but instead of the painting opening, a small door in the background expanded and moved to the front of the painting. Once it reached the full size of the painting the doorknob protruded.  
  
"I do have more class than the normal paintings you know," a voice rang through the air as though Ella could see Hermione's jaw drop in awe. Dumbledore pulled it open and both Malfoy and herself entered behind him. Hermione's eyes widened in awe as she took in the surroundings. There was a semi-circular leather sofa with gold satin pillows with red lining of a lion running along the border of each cushion and silver satin pillows with green lining with a serpent slithering along the borders.  
  
In a regal looking fireplace, a fire was blazing. I would not have looked out of place in a Victorian house and Hermione immediately fell in love with it. There was an oak coffee table and many bean bags around the room. Bookshelves with every type of book possible were scattered around the room. There was even a stand with a book on it.  
  
Hermione went up to it and read the explanation. It said to write the title of the book she wanted, so she wrote, Hogwarts a History and the book came zooming out of the shelf to her. It would have knocked her out if not for the fact that she had used her hands to cover her face. Thankfully it slowed down as it approached her and fell neatly onto her waiting hands. Unfortunately she had her hands up vertically to her face so they heavy book slid off them and onto her foot causing her to scream, "Bloody hell."  
  
Malfoy turned to look at what happened. He nearly laughed before remembering that Malfoy's never showed emotions especially in the presence of mudbloods. Hermione grinned apologetically and muttered a almost inaudible, "I dropped the book." She continued to look around and saw that there was a socket there. "Wait did I just see a socket there," she thought to herself, her eyes backtracking only to find that she was right.  
  
"How come there is a socket here? I thought...," Hermione said before Dumbledore cut in and said that since Hermione was a muggle born she might want to use some electrical appliances he had bewitched the room to allow electricity. Hermione squealed with excitement while Malfoy just looked at her, raised an eyebrow and smirked. He thought that she was quite stupid showing her emotions in front of both him and Dumbledore. He looked curiously at this socket thing she was so excited about.  
  
It was just three holes in the wall with a little thing sticking out at the end. He wondered what it was that this strange thing did. He wouldn't know as he never took muggle studies. The thought of it was hilarious. A Malfoy, learning about muggles on his own accord. Though he wouldn't admit it he found their way of living without magic intriguing, he knew that it would be pointless for a Malfoy to learn about Muggles as his father himself was the reason for the death of so many of them.  
  
Hermione then thanking Dumbledore and retired to her room anxious to unpack. She was shocked once again when she went in to see that there was a king size bed with hangings all around it.  
  
The quilt was gold and the sheet a rich maroon. There many pillows that were so soft Hermione suspected that magic was used to make it that soft. Other than that there was a dressing table and study table made of mahogany and a walk in closet.  
  
Inside she found all her robes neatly hung up and her other belongings put in their appropriate places. She opened her trunk and extracted her hand phone. She always brought it along but never used it as it went haywire anywhere near Hogwarts. She charged it using the socket near her dressing table.  
  
Next she went into the bathroom. It was nothing compared to the prefects bathroom. It was huge. There was a deep swimming pool in the middle. The bottom and the walls of the swimming pool was of swirling aqua colors that made it seem calm. The whole place was covered with gold tiles. There were fifty odd taps of bubble baths. In the other end of the room there was a bath tub, toilet bowls and sinks. Fluffy white towels hung from the rails near the bath tub. The tub seemed to be made of marble and looked so classy that Hermione gasped.  
  
Hermione could not remember a time when she had been in a place of such grandeur, such structure, such richness in culture and at the same time modern. Her house unfortunately she could no longer call it home was simplistic and necessity based unlike this place where it was all about extravagance. A scrumptious smell wafted in from the common room.  
  
She wanted to avoid Malfoy by all costs, having had enough to deal with in one day but the smell of food that wafted in from the common room was too tempting. "I'll go in, grab the food and leave," she thought devising a plan in her mind. As she stalked into the common room she found Malfoy relaxing on the couch with eating a piece of pizza. She bent over grabbed a piece and walked towards her room. As she had her eyes down cast she did not see Malfoy swiftly move and catch her wrist. As he was a seeker he moved much stronger and thus she couldn't pull her hand out of his grip. She used her other hand to try and pry it off but Malfoy said, "What did I say about touching me Granger?"  
  
""Then what about you? Why would you want to touch a filthy mudblood?" Hermione said her voice harsh. He looked at her slightly amused. He shrugged.  
  
He then continued, "It is extremely rude to not offer a young man the pleasure of dining with you fair Mudblood. Did no one teach you manners at all? Or...are you just scared. Scarhead and Weasel aren't here to protect you now," he asked in a nonchalant tone.  
  
"I would much rather be sparred the torture of having dinner with you," Hermione retorted scathingly before wrenching her hand from his vice grip, and pushed him aside. She stalked into her room and slamming the door behind her. Hermione's mind was already thinking up a plan to get revenge on Malfoy. "I have to put it to work tomorrow itself," Hermione muttered incoherently to herself, her thoughts turning to her home and soon enough sleep claimed her but not before there was a fully formed plan in her mind.

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Read and Review ok :P


	3. Chapter 2

AN:Well here's the third chapter. It's barely of 3000 words. My muse seems to be on holiday or something cuz well I am getting no new ideas. Please write in to give me ideas. I might use them if they fit the story. Oh yes and chapter updates won't be as often as they were over the June holidays. Well cuz school just started and guess what teachers have a great sense of humor and decided that it would be funny to see all students die from the workload. Arrrgh... I have a history assignment a geography test paper, a math graphs, assignment and an English Essay all due tomorrow and what am I doing? Typing a chapter for my fanfiction.  
  
"Wake up Hermione. It's now 7.00 in the morning. Your schedule for today is a prefectorial board meeting in the transfiguration classroom. That is all for today. Have a nice day," said a cool female voice as Hermione jerked out of bed upon hearing it. "That is so cool," she thought to herself as she yawned and pushed open the bathroom door, forgetting that she had to share it with Malfoy.  
  
Malfoy was in the bathroom. He had his shirt off. Her jaw practically dropped when she saw his six-pack and his biceps that were usually hidden under the robes. She was lost in though staring at him when his voice cut through saying, "Enjoying the view Granger?" Hermione blushed beet-red when she realized what she was doing and when she looked at Malfoy's face her had his trademark smirk on it.  
  
"God...he is so infuriating and full of himself," she thought to herself. She wondered why he had to be so mean to her just because she happened to be glancing his way; she was using the term glancing very loosely of course. Then she smirked, he was a Malfoy, he didn't need a reason to be mean to anyone. It was in his nature.  
  
She thought up a snappy comeback which was kind of hard as she was distracted by his flexing six pack, every time he moved and said, "Well there's really not much to admire," turned around and left the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.  
  
Leaning against the door she thought, "God what a jerk." Malfoy looked after Hermione. She wondered why she was so affected by seeing Malfoy topless because well she should be used to Harry and Ron wandering the burrow without tops after quidditch matches by now. She scolded herself for coming up with something so lame and letting Malfoy know that he was getting the better of her.  
  
He knew that he was really pushing her buttons and she would either end up killing herself or him than spend just this year with him. He too found solace in the fact that it was just a year. He wondered how anyone would be able to bear or even enjoy spending time with the filthy, know-it- all mudblood. He laughed to himself as he remembered the look on her face when she first registered the shock of seeing topless.  
  
He knew that many girls would have killed to have had such a chance but that mudblood, she was different as though she would have much rather not seen that. He looked at the mirror and flexed his muscles. He knew it something childish to do but he couldn't help but start going into all the muscle man model poses and laughed at himself.  
  
He couldn't help himself when his thoughts went back to the mudblood witch. He wondered why he had taunted her for years on the end. Shrugging, he told himself it was more out of habit than anything. It wasn't that she was disgusting to him but he behaved like he did as he was brought up to despise mudbloods and years of the same thing being drilled into his head only forced him to believe it.  
  
He decided that he didn't really care.  
After half an hour, Malfoy emerged from the bathroom in his robes. They were stretched over his muscles and his hair still wet from the shower hung in his gray eyes increasing his bad-boy appeal. His steel gray eyes hardened as he caught sight of Hermione. Smirking at her he opened his mouth to say something.  
  
Hermione turned away and entered the bathroom before she was forced to spend more time in his presence. She filled the bath-tub with steaming hot water and vanilla scented bubble bath and sank into it sighing in contentment. After awhile she washed her hair and then put on a pair of faded jeans and a black tee before she put on her robes.  
  
She remembered the makeup set that Ginny had given her for her birthday, a big hint telling her that she should use some. She knew that all her friends thought that she should get out more weather they voiced it or not.  
  
"Oh well I can't be bothered," Hermione said in finality before tying her bushy hair into a high ponytail. Walking to the common room she took out one of her favorite muggle books, "Great expectations" and started to reread it telling herself that she wasn't bothered going down for breakfast as yet. In a while, her stomach growled and she decided that it was time for breakfast. Leaving the book on the table she walked out of the quarters. Ella Enchanted wished her a good morning and told Hermione that two extremely tall good-looking men had been there to see her when she was in the bathroom.  
  
"I think they've found out that you've been cheating on them. Best trod carefully there, I encountered something like that myself," Ella said. Hermione raised an eyebrow and tried to make sense of what the lady had just said. Finally it clicked  
  
"Oh...them. They're my best friends. Harry Potter and Ron Weasly. Oh yes and next time they are here could you please grant them entry?" Hermione asked Ella.  
  
"Alas I can't do that but what I can do is inform you every time they come so that you can invite them in," Ella said. Hermione nodded and said that she would see Ella later. As she made her way to the Great Hall, she saw two extremely tall guys, one with flaming red hair and the other with jet black hair.  
  
"Hey! Ron! Harry! Wait up!" She yelled, catching up with them.  
  
"Hermione, where were you after the feast?" Ron asked. Hermione explained what had happened and Harry clenched his fist, "Why I aught to..." he said when he heard about Malfoy attacking Hermione.  
  
His usually placid emerald green eyes burned and became forest green, close to black. She wondered if it was a figment of her imagination as no one seemed to notice so she let it pass when she noticed that his eyes were back to normal. She cut in saying that she had it all planned out.  
  
"Hmm...a plan...tell tell," Ron asked bemused as all Hermione's plans were extremely original and not to mention Hilarious as long as you weren't the one she was plotting against. Hermione explained her plan to them and they grinned imagining the look on Malfoy's face after the deed was done. Hermione instructed them to sit on both her sides at breakfast and also to keep a straight face.  
  
They entered the Great Hall and took seats facing Malfoy and his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. The two bozos who had been tailing him ever since their fist year now served no purpose as Malfoy was obviously stronger then them. They had once been his body guards but now ever since Voldemort's return, everyone gave him a wide berth afraid of his influence and him physically hurting them.  
  
Hermione was sitting between the two guys. Hermione reached for her wand and pointed it inconspicuously at the piece of thickly buttered toast that was on Malfoy's plate and muttered, "Wingardium Leviosa."  
  
The piece of toast shot up into the air and hit his chin causing butter to drip down his neck. Harry's cheeks bulged at trying to keep his laughter silent. "This is just the beginning," Hermione whispered. She muttered another charm and the porcelain white milk jug levitated off the table and proceeded to whiz around Malfoy's head. By then almost everyone in the hall was in stitches and wondering who was the cause of this prank on Malfoy as it was strange to see a Malfoy on the receiving end of embarrassment.  
  
Even some of the Slytherins were laughing together with the Ravenclaws, Hupplepuffs and Gryffindors. Malfoy gave them a look that caused them to stifle their laughter and stare at their plates. Obviously Malfoy had them all threatened with something or other.  
  
The milk jug came to halt above Malfoy's head and then tilted, emptying its contents, no less than a few liters of milk on his hair. (The jug was enchanted of course). "Hermione...are you...Hahaha....haha...f...Finished," Ron said amidst his hysterical laughter.  
  
"Not quite," Hermione said. Then as an after thought adding, "Dessert is yet to come." By this time Malfoy was looking outrageously around trying to figure out who was doing that.  
  
Hermione wanted Malfoy to know that it was her as she was no coward and was ready to face the consequences of her actions so as she walked to the exit she said loudly, "You enjoyed the main course and the drink I believe. Well here's dessert." With a wave of her wand she caused a treacle tart to fly across the room from the Gryffindor table and hit him right on the nose. Its sticky side had hit him so it stuck to his nose and he looked hilarious.  
  
"I bet he's the only guy that will look good in such a situation," Parvati Patil said to her friend Lavender Brown, then dissolving into giggles. At this Hermione rolled her eyes as at that moment Malfoy not only did not look good but he looked downright hilarious.  
  
She spun around on her heels and headed for her living quarters with Harry and Ron on the tow, but not before she had said another spell and all the spoons and forks from the Slytherin table had risen and formed an ever swirling circle around his head.  
  
At the teacher's table almost all of them were laughing, even Professor Snape had a hint of a smile on his face as he watched the scene unfold. Sure he hated the mudblood and it was his favorite student being punished but he had to admit it was funny.  
  
Dumbledore was chortling along with the students as Malfoy tried his very best to free himself from the ring of utensils. Professor Flitwick on the other hand had become extremely exited which for him was no big deal as it was a common fact that he was easily excitable.  
  
"That was very strong magic, commanding more than one item at a time and also making the charm stay even though the caster had left the area," he said more to himself than to anybody else. Deciding that Malfoy had suffered enough, Dumbledore strode down to the Slytherin table and muttered the counter curse.  
  
The utensils stopped moving around his head and rose to form the words "Malfoy sucks" before dropping to the ground and becoming lifeless. All except for one fork which gave Malfoy a sharp prod on his backside before falling to the ground.  
  
Not expecting that Malfoy yelped causing the people who had just come up for air after laughing so long to fall back into hysterics.  
  
All three of them were laughing about the incident. "Did you see the look on his face? Gods...that was better than the time Moody turned him into a ferret," Ron choked through his mirth. They finally arrived at the painting of Ella Enchanted.  
  
"Inky Quills," Hermione said then added, "Ella would you like to join us for a chat?" Ella nodded and the door expanded.  
  
"Mione' where did she go?" Harry asked. Hermione explained that there was a frame in the common room into which she can go when there is anyone outside waiting to see us or just to talk to us. They walked into the common room and gasped as they took in the grand surroundings. "It's definitely worth being a head Mione," Harry said in awe.  
  
"I had the same reaction too," Hermione said a smile playing on her lips. Ella appeared in the painting and all of them greeted her enthusiastically. They told Ella of the happenings during breakfast and soon all of them were rolling in the ground (Ella on the ground of her painting) with tears of laughter streaming down their cheeks.  
  
"Well Hermione, we have to go. Quidditch practice and all," Ron interrupted. Hermione told them that they were welcome anytime and to come visit once it a while. Ron smiled at her and ran his hands through his hair, making it look windswept and messy like he had just dismounted a broom.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron at times behaved extremely obnoxiously but deep down he was just the same. Harry behind him gave Ron a odd look that Hermione caught, grinning back at Harry. Harry was reminded of his own father, the way that James Potter made his hair seem messy to look as though he had been flying. He smiled and realized that Ron mostly behaved like that in Hermione's presence.  
  
Having made the connection he decided that he would leave it to them. He didn't think there was much possibility of them being in a relationship as Hermione seemed to only see Ron as a brother. Shrugging he called Ron over telling him it was high time they left.  
  
They left and Ella decided to leave to get rid of one of her unwanted suitors, Sir Cadeogean. Ella explained that the barmy knight thought that a good way of wooing her would be to drag her along for all his 'adventures'.  
  
Hermione laughed as she remembered Sir. Cadeodean from her third year. He was one of the portraits in the castle who thought he was extremely brave. He had been a huge task to cope with as he kept changing the password if the Gryffindor common room every few hours and hardly anyone could keep up with it.  
  
He had been a substitute for the fat lady, the portrait of a rather large woman who was usually the painting that led to the Gryffindor common room.  
  
Hermione then remembered what he called people who were cowards and laughed even harder, knowing that she must look mad to anyone who was watching as she was laughing close to hysterical for no obvious particular reason and also because she was laughing sitting all alone.  
  
Strolling out of the common room she saw the "barmy knight" as Ella had referred to him forcing Ella onto his steed which was an old donkey and nearly dying under the weight of both of them.  
  
"Who goes there," Sir Cadeogan said brandishing his sword. The weight caused him to tip over and fall and his helmet top fell over his eyes. Ella mouthed a silent, "Thank you," to Hermione and disappeared from the painting after dismounting from the donkey.  
  
"Who turned out the lights? Am I dead? Is this heaven?" the knight asked stupidly as he pulled at his helmet. Hermione broke into a fit of giggles and the knight fell onto his knees and asked, "Is this the voice of god?"  
  
Hermione tried her best to control her laughter and deepened her voice before saying, "Yes brave knight it is. I just wanted to tell you to stop pursuing that Ella girl. Believe me when I say she is not interested. Never bother her again unless you want to incur my wrath. Take off your helmet now and you will be back at Hogwarts."  
  
Saying this Hermione quickly ducked out of sight and peeked from around the bend and saw the knight get up after pulling off his helmet, get onto his donkey and ride off to only god's knows where. She heard some giggling from behind her and saw Ella in a portrait there.  
  
"Thank you ever so much dah-link. That was a stroke of sheer genius. Finally I have him off my back," Ella said laughing along with Hermione. Ella returned to her usual frame and Hermione told her the password and when the doorknob protruded the door, opened it and entered the common room again.  
  
Hermione decided that she wanted to have a swim in the pool. She changed into a pair of shorts and a black tee and then went to the pool and started testing all the taps.  
  
Her favorite one was the tap that gushed out huge bubbles into which she could enter and then it would seal itself and float a short height above the pool before bursting and depositing her into the pool again.  
  
She wondered who came up with those bubble baths. She realized that there were so many things that she took for granted in the wizarding world. She thought back to the episode that occurred in her house that summer and shook it out of her head. She felt like she would burst if she didn't tell anyone soon.  
  
Curled up in a bubble she let herself give in to the floating sensation that cleared her mind of any thought. Laughing to herself she prodded the wall of the bubble but thankfully it didn't burst yet. In it she felt safe, away from the real world where nothing made sense but everyone was expected to make sense of nonsense. Shaking her head to clear her head she again told herself off for thinking about the episode.  
  
Once the pool was filled Hermione plunged into it and did a few laps before flipping over and floating on her back. She did not know how long she lay there thinking but soon her thoughts turned to Malfoy.  
  
The angel told her that he was just a poor confused young man but the devil said otherwise claiming that he was a good-for-nothing, elitist jerk. Hermione snorted, "Poor confused young man...my foot," she muttered incoherently.  
  
"But he was also charming (if he wanted to be), gorgeous, hot, intellectual (though he didn't show it at many times) man," a voice sounded from the back of her mind. Smiling dreamily she continues to float on her back.  
  
Hermione knew that Malfoy would be desperate to get back at her for what she had done that morning but she told herself that she would be prepared for it and that he would not catch her by surprise.  
  
She wondered what he might do to get revenge but as she did not know Malfoy well enough she could not fathom to what extent he would go to mark her just as she had marked him that day.  
  
AN:Wasn't that hilarious? I laughed my head off typing it. Oh yea...I have a problem. I have LOADS of homework!!! I am such a waste of space at times. Well yeah anyone out there know a site to download MP3 songs for free that is neither Morpheus nor Kazza. Tell me of you do cuz these sites are banned and I want to listen to music on something other than real player. Ok I'm outie... 


	4. Chapter 3

AN:Oh my gosh, I put up the wrong chapter so sorry if u guys were confused....Just Read and Review ok?

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Draco Malfoy on the other hand was fuming. He had never been insulted like this before. "Stupid mudblood doesn't know what she's gotten herself into," he muttered as he paced along the corridors. She was the only one who had gotten away with insulting him. It had happened in their third year when she slapped him. He wondered why he had let her go instead of using it as an excuse to make her life a living hell.  
  
Now she had gotten out of hand. She had dared to insult him; Draco Malfoy in front of the school. His father would definitely hear about this. Not from him as obviously he preferred to deal with his own problems but from Pansy who was Draco's personal stalker and his father's spy.  
  
He had once like Pansy for the aloof beauty that she was. With blonde hair and blue eyes she looked much like a model. Unfortunately unknown to him was a bundle of insecurity under the fake pretence. He regretted ever getting himself involved with her. He was sick and tired of her clinging onto him. This year he had managed to avoid her so far but the problem was she was in almost all his classes so avoiding would be impossible.  
  
He wondered how to show the thick skinned, thick skulled moron that clung to him that he wasn't interested. He had put up with her because he was not bothered enough to do anything about it.  
  
"Shit, I'm digressing from the problem at hand," he said cussing at himself. He wondered why that mudblood had such an effect on him when she wasn't even directly in her presence.  
  
He wanted to mark her just as she had marked him; make her regret ever forgetting her place. Finally he decided that he had best go back to the common room as he had to take a bath and get ready to meet all the prefects.  
  
Storming off he finally arrived at the painting of Ella Enchanted. She looked at him and said with a calm face, "You've got a bit of custard on your nose," before breaking into fits of hysterical laughter. He rolled his eyes wondering why he had not expected the mudblood to tell everyone in the school who hadn't seen it first hand. He waited until she had stopped laughing. Unfortunately her laughter didn't seem to cease and he felt his blood began to boil.  
  
"Are you done laughing idiot woman?" he said scathingly and looked at her condescendingly. He immediately knew he had said the wrong thing. He had a knack of doing those sort of thing. Suddenly she stopped laughing. Her expression became stony and she blinked at him before suddenly turning around and walking away, leaving an empty frame and no way into the common room for Malfoy.  
  
"This is great just great," he muttered incoherently to himself as he started pounding on the frame. Professor Dumbledore happened to walk past at the moment and he smiled at Malfoy before commenting, "Hell hath on fury as a woman scorned." before walking away.  
  
Malfoy felt like hitting that old interfering old man who thought too much of himself. "Why couldn't Dumbledore have just helped him?" he wondered.  
  
Hermione heard violent pounding at the door and thinking it was Harry and Ron she jumped out of the pool and forgot to use a charm to dry herself before rushing to the door and pulling it open. As Malfoy at that moment was trying to use his weight to jimmy open the door he fell right on top of Hermione.  
  
"Oi" she said in shock as she stood up and saw that Malfoy had fallen on her. His weight had not near crushed her as he expected.  
  
Instead of apologizing to her or even thanking her for opening the door he replied with a voice of malice, "Thank goodness I have time to take a bath."  
  
Malfoy was shocked. Never would he have believed that under those baggy robes were such a good body. Her shorts were way to short for her own good but it made her look good instead of sluttish. Her shirt had been stuck to her body and ridden up. She had abs and when he fell on her he couldn't believe that she had been able to take such an impact without feeling much pain.  
  
Hermione couldn't believe her ears. Of all things him choosing to insult her when all she did was help him struck a nerve. She followed him into the bathroom and shouted, "What the hell did I do to you Malfoy? Why do you love tormenting me so much?"  
  
They were in front of the huge mirrors that had misted over during the time Hermione was taking a bath. She watched the shadow that was Malfoy's reflection move behind her. She attempted to spin around but he quickly caught her hand and twisted it behind her back pinning it to the small of her back. This way she could not move as it would break her arm.  
  
She squirmed trying her best to free herself of his vice like grip. His reflection in the mirror showed no emotion but hatred at it's rawest. His eyes flashed dangerously, making her fear for her life.  
  
"You asked me what you did. I'll tell you. I don't think you would understand things like family reputation. Do you know that no one and I mean on one has ever dared to insult me like this? Sure Scar head and Weasel have thrown some insults at me but those are trivial compared to what you did. I guess my sentiments are sorely misplaced on you as after all you are a mudblood, filthier than pond scum and you would know nothing about respect," he hissed into her ear.  
  
She struggled to get away from him. His words stung. She knew that she should never listen to a word a Malfoy said about her but still it hurt. "Why did he have to bring up family, Why?" she though to herself.  
  
Her eyes were brimming with tears but she refused to cry in front of him so she blinked back her tears and gave a sharp pull away from him, using her whole weight to propel herself forward. She managed to slip out of his grip. She spun around and ran to her room. She thanked her lucky stars that she had gotten away fast enough as when she was out of the bathroom itself tears were pouring down her face.  
  
She hated herself for being so weak, for not being strong and living with the issue instead of breaking down anytime someone mentioned family. She didn't want to give Malfoy the satisfaction of seeing her cry as so far he never had but now he knew that he had broken her. He had made her cry. Hermione thought of all this when she rushed into her room.  
  
Malfoy stared at her quickly retreating form and wondered if he pushed it too far. He had seen the tears in her eyes and after the moment of triumph that he felt after hurting her he felt nothing, not guilt mind you because Malfoy's never felt guilt. He then decided that he might as well have a bath. As he floated on his back in the pool, he thought about making the mudblood cry.  
  
He had thought that she was stupid to yet again show her emotions to the enemy but then he remembered the look in her eyes. It had scared him if he told the truth not that he would mention it to anyone. It was of raw emotion. Not like anything that he had seen. Not physical but he couldn't place a name to it. She looked so powerful as though she could cope with anything after she coped with whatever it was that had her upset.  
  
Malfoy wondered for the second time that day why the mudblood had that effect on him.  
  
Hermione sat in her room sobbing into her hands. She was kneeling by the bed with her hands propped up on them. She was telling herself off for showing Malfoy that he had struck a nerve. Suddenly the cool voice that woke her up in the morning announced that a Ginny Weasly was there to see Hermione. Hermione wiped away her tears, hoping that Ginny wouldn't realize that anything was wrong and went to open the door. Ginny stood there for a minute before rushing at Hermione and enveloping her in a bear hug.  
  
"Harry's taking me to dinner at a muggle restaurant this weekend. We're sneaking out of course..." she said jabbering on and on about her up coming date with Harry. She noticed that Hermione wasn't listening and called her name. Then she realized that Hermione's eyes were red from crying.  
  
Ginny nearly hit herself on her head for being so insensitive. She should have realized that something was up.  
  
"Oh my gosh, Mione I'm so sorry. I was so caught up in my own world. What happened?" she said as they walked into Hermione's room. Hermione just shook her head and settled herself on the floor.  
  
She wasn't ready to tell anyone about it but on the other hand her whole being seemed to be on the verge of exploding after learning the news. She had kept it to herself for too long and felt that it was bringing her down the path of self destruction. She knew that if she continued the way she had, it would either bring her to suicide or becoming a nutcase.  
  
Silent tears poured down her cheeks and plopped onto the ground. Finally making a decision, she decided that she would tell Ginny but have her sworn to secrecy. "Ginny...I haven't told anyone and you can't tell anyone either not even Ron or Harry," she said calmly. She loved them as brothers but couldn't deal with a confrontation; not yet.  
  
Ginny nodded her eyes shining with sympathy as she watched her friend cry silent tears while all she could do was stand at the side lines. Choking on a sob she let it out together with all the emotions that she had been feeling throughout the whole period of time. "I...I'm adopted," she said her voice strangled as she forced the words out amidst her body wracking sobs.  
  
She wondered why she had not told anyone about her discovery earlier. It lessened the huge weight that was at her stomach throughout the whole time. Hermione tried her best to brace herself for her friend's reply. Although telling someone seemed to make the issue true in her mind and add some finality to it.  
  
Ginny's eyes widened and she rushed to Hermione's side and gave her a hug. Hermione couldn't hold it in anymore so she just cried. Ginny whispered to her that everything would be okay that it was alright and suddenly Hermione stopped crying. She just froze when she saw a shadow at the door.  
  
AN:I though of leaving it at that but what fun would it be as all of you can already guess who it is by now...  
  
Malfoy's jaw dropped as a feeling he had never felt engulfed him. Guilt. At what he had done. Of course she had teared because of his mention of family. Using her Palms Hermione wiped of her tears and through gritted teeth said, "If you mentioned this to anyone Malfoy, I will kill you," she said. He just smirked and walked off cockily.  
  
As soon as he was out of sight in his room, he sunk onto the arm chair there and sighed, wondering what he had done. He knew now that she was adopted, he wondered who her real parents were...  
  
He also regretted what he had done earlier and the way he had behaved when she told him that he had to choose between silence on the matter or death. Personally he wondered if he had struck such a bad impression on Hermione that she thought that he would use the piece of information to his advantage.  
  
He knew that the Malfoy from two years ago would have but why didn't people realize that he had changed. He was no more that aristocratic kid that hid behind his power hungry father that people grudgingly respected more out of fear than anything else. He was no longer the weak boy who used money for means of everything and knew nothing about life.  
  
He had paid the price of being such a person though he felt that he shouldn't be blamed for the way he behaved in his early years as he had behaved the way it had been ingrained into him how to behave since young. He remembered the look in her eyes again  
  
"Hermione, I'm so sorry come sit over hear, wait your hair wet. You'll catch a cold. I'll dry it for you," Ginny said reassuringly. Hermione sat on the floor and Ginny right above her on the bed.  
  
Ginny used her wand to emit blast of hot air as she did Hermione's hair. She conjured up big clips and clipped up most of Hermione's hair. She then used a round brush and started emitting blasts of icy air at the hair while muttering a spell under he breath. If Hermione had not been so preoccupied, she would have realized what Ginny was doing. Unfortunately, she was.  
  
Both of them sat in silence the only sound of the clock ticking and the wand making slight choking noises as the icy air came out.  
  
"Hermione, do you know who your real parents are?" Ginny whispered breaking the silence. Ginny didn't mean to pry but she at the same time was dying from curiosity. Also all the silence and tension in the room was making her extremely uncomfortable. She wondered why Hermione had not told anyone over the holidays when she was staying at their place.  
  
Hermione shrugged before replying, "Well my parents said they were from the wizarding world but I didn't want to know then," Hermione answered as she sat thinking. All those years Malfoy had called her a mudblood but now she knew she wasn't. She blinked back the fresh tears that threatened to spill.  
  
"Why didn't you tell us earlier Mione'. We love you and you should have known that we wouldn't have judged you based on that," Ginny said her voice taking a concerned tone. A lone tear slipped along her face at this and Hermione tried to smile but it seemed that she had forgotten how to. What had seemed easy a few days ago now seemed so hard.  
  
"Ginny do you mind if we change the topic. It's just...I'm not ready to talk about it yet. Tell me about your upcoming date," Hermione said. Hermione settled back onto the bed as Ginny began to give her a blow by blow account of what she was going to wear that day.  
  
"Oh it's a gorgeous dress that I designed by myself and the satin is so smooth..." Hermione heard Ginny say before tuning her out. Hermione felt guilty for doing so but she couldn't help it. She wondered who her parents were. Weather they would accept her and the list of questions went on. She felt angry that they had abandoned her, obviously she was assuming that it had happened as she knew nothing for sure.  
  
She realized that this was the first time that Hermione Granger knew nothing about a certain subject. And this was part of her life. Being the diligent know-it-all that she was, she told herself that she would ask her foster parents who her real ones were.  
  
"Hermione close your eyes, I've got a surprise for you," Ginny said, breaking Hermione line of thoughts. Hermione did as her friend had told her to wondering what Ginny was up to. Ginny levitated the handheld mirror on Hermione's desk in front of Hermione's face. Telling her that she could open her eyes now Ginny laid back and watched as her friend's expression changed. From sad to surprised to happy.  
  
In the mirror Hermione saw herself but with straight and sleek brown hair. Ginny had blow dried it straight and it hung straight framing her face and making her look much better. She was surprised at first when she couldn't put her finger on what it was that was different. She was angry at Ginny for going against her wishes but at the same time she couldn't help but unconsciously forgive her friend as she realized that she looked great.  
  
"You should have asked but anyway it looks great," Hermione exclaimed her worries forgotten for a minute. Ginny then muttered a charm and informed Hermione that it would remain that way until Hermione said the counter-charm.  
  
Hermione looked closer and noticed that Ginny had highlighted her hair so that it had bronze streaks in it. She didn't really like the look but obviously Ginny did and she didn't want to hurt the feelings of someone trying so hard to make her happy.  
  
"Mione, I hope you feel better now. Wait let me do your makeup. Just for today. It'll cover up the redness and swollenness of your eyes. Please," Ginny begged and Hermione agreed knowing that her friend was just trying her best to make her feel better. After twenty minutes Hermione was led to a mirror and she had to admit that she couldn't recognize herself.  
  
Ginny had accentuated her brown eyes with earth toned eye-shadow on the inner corner of her eyes that became a lighter color as it branched out towards the side's of her head. Her eyebrows were thinner and the arches more well defined. Her eyelashes gave an illusion of being long and curly. She had lip gloss on her lips. They made them look fuller and somehow made her look more mature. The slight rouge on her check bones made her features seem more defined. Her hair that now hung straight was left to flow freely and it obeyed her swishing lightly with every movement she made.  
  
She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes as she still had thoughts about her parents on the back of her mind. She loved the way she looked but she knew she could not be bothered to maintain it as she had been taught since young that beauty was only skin deep.  
  
"I'll always be there for you Mione and don't you forget that," Ginny said trying to cheer her friend up. Hermione nodded and managed a smile. Pulling her robes over her clothes she told Ginny that she had to go for a prefect's meeting. It wasn't that she wanted to brush off Ginny but some questions that Ginny asked had raised some important questions in her mind.  
  
She wanted some time to sit down and think about weather she really wanted to know who her parents were. If they were purebloods and all purebloods were like the Malfoy..."she though shuddering at the thought of being brought up to hate people who she once counted herself into.  
  
She wondered if she had any siblings. Having grown up an only child she was thrilled at thought of having a younger or older, brother or sister. She lapsed into a dream world where her family was made up of a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes who looked extremely motherly and a man who looked burly and strong.  
  
Also she had a gorgeous older brother who owned a motor bike and was the most sought after guy in school. She was very pretty and was head cheerleader. Hermione smiled as she thought about the silly dream. She did not want to be in a perfect family that was for sure and she knew that she would never in her right mind, choose to be a cheerleader.  
  
Their perkiness and bubbly behavior tended to get on her nerves and she remembered the way she was treated by the ones in her school before she came to Hogwarts.  
  
"Oops I nearly forgot all about it. Did I tell you I was Gryffindor prefect?" Ginny said smiling. Hermione smiled back and congratulated her.  
  
"Ginny I have to be there a little earlier. Let yourself out okay," Hermione said before giving her friend a hug and departing. She was thankful that Ginny had been there for her. She knew that Harry and Ron were her best friends but lately they seemed to always exclude her and the constant chatter on quidditch tended to get on her nerves.  
  
The guys were great but they tended to lack in sensitivity as it never was a strong point in boys. Hermione raised her hand to unconsciously touch her hair which wasn't wiry and rough but so soft and shiny that she fell in love with it once again.  
  
"Wait one last thing," Ginny said before muttering Tighteno and Hermione felt her robes tighten and stick to her figure.  
  
"Oh god I must look like a slut," she thought to herself but wasn't bothered enough to waste her time thinking of the counter charm. Looking down she saw that the robes clung onto her like a second skin. She thanked god that she had worked out during the holidays.  
  
Staying with the Weasly's had it's perks as everyone was so energetic and quidditch matches were held in the backyard almost everyday. She played terribly as she was so frightened of looking down and had fallen off her broomstick more than once. But still the constant running around had kept her in shape and she had to thank her foster parents for her abs as they had sent her to boot camp for summer when they were overseas on a worldwide dental business venture.  
  
Of course at that time she did not know that they were not her real parents. She walked up to Malfoy's room and knocked, noticing that his door had a picture of a serpent that hissed when she neared it. Even as much as she hated him she had no choice but to discuss the Prefect duties with him. For the millionth time that day, she cursed her bad luck at having to work with the self obsessed, egoistic manic.  
  
Malfoy heard a knock on the door. Wondering who it was as he hardly ever got any visitors. He of course never expected who it would be and how they would look.  
  
He opened the door and his jaw dropped.

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AN:Dear readers, I'm so sorry for being the blur queen that i am and forgetting to post the first part of the chapter. Oh yeah and though the beginnings of the chapters might seem the same, the middle and end have changed so yeah check it out if you left it out. I dropped a million hints on what is about to take place later on in the story...Just to check, does everyone here know about charmed? I love the show...si I try my best to catch every episode...just checking . 


	5. Chapter 4

AN:Sorry abt the confusion...Hope you like the chapter...I'm sorry i am so blurrr!!!!

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Malfoy was utterly shocked when he saw Hermione. She looked different. Very different. When he felt his jaw drop he silently cussed at himself; Malfoys never showed emotion. Her hair...she had definitely done something to it. It was straight and had bronze streaks in it. He felt like reaching out and...wait this was a mudblood he was thinking about. He shook himself.  
  
He then looked at her eyes and again felt their magnetic pull. "Ew...What the hell is wrong with me? She is a MUDBLOOD!" he chided himself.  
  
She was wearing makeup, he noticed. The accentuation if her features made her look...different. He was lost for words wondering how his worst enemy had such an effect on him.  
  
Hermione smirked at him and then icily, "We have to discuss the prefectorial duties before going to the meeting." She had got him back. The expression in his face itself was enough by its own. She knew that he was shocked. Who wouldn't be? She asked herself. She realized that she had been a book worm and all everyone expected of her was good grades.  
  
No one knew her well, maybe Ron and Harry knew a little about her but even they didn't know about her dreams and wishes. She guessed that at first joined them due to the need of acceptance then they grew and her and she viewed them as the older brothers that she never had.  
  
Sighing slightly she focused and saw Malfoy staring at her as though she had and axe stuck out of her head.  
  
When he saw that Hermione had snapped out of her lala land or wherever her mind had wandered to, Malfoy smirked the traditional Malfoy smirk at her.  
  
He smirked right back at her and replied, "And what makes you think I would pull myself to your level. A Malfoy, working with a mudblood. Sheesh that was a good one Granger." He said, his words meant to sting and he wondered for a moment why he was so high because of the fact that he was tormenting her. She didn't look hurt as he had expected her to be.  
  
His guess was that she was so used to his verbal torture that she just took in his stride. He leaned against his doorframe and crossed his arms in front of his chest looking at her as though she was scum. In fact he was finding the fact that she was the only one who dared to speak back to him, throw him insults even when they were alone amusing. No one stood up to a Malfoy especially not a mudblood.  
  
Hermione closed her eyes and told herself that she should just ignore him. "Mind you Malfoy if you don't do your share Professor McGonagall will hear about it," she replied as calmly as she could manage. Malfoy rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath that sounded vaguely like, "Filthy mudblood."  
  
He knew she knew. Professor McGonagall was the only other person after Dumbledore that he respected in the school. Her prim and proper behavior and expectations of her students being exactly like that didn't make him comfortable. He knew that she was not someone to cross from the very day that they had met which was of course his first day in Hogwarts.  
  
He remembered that he had offered to be Harry Potter's friend but when Harry turned his friendship down and sided with the snot nosed Weasly, that was the makings of a enmity. No one turned a Malfoy down. No one.  
  
Professor McGonagall was extremely no-nonsense when ushering the students in and the way she handled the fear stricken first years made Malfoy respect her grudgingly of course. Unfortunately his respect for her didn't extend to doing as she said most of the time. He had never like Professor McGonagall you see he just...respected her as a person, something rather rare as the only other person he used to respect was his father.  
  
And even now, he had lost that. His father was despicable in his eyes but at the same time the respect that came from him naturally when he was younger was now forced out of him by inducing pain and causing fear. He never let his father see how much he hated it when he went home and was forced to spend time with that; that monster for the lack of better words.  
  
Deciding that he might as well go instead of anger the only teacher who would dare give him detention, he just walked out not bothering to even hold open the door for Hermione. Apparently she was too lowly to expect that of him. Hermione sighed, shook her head and followed the guy that had made her life hell for the past six years. She wondered why Malfoy always went out of his way to make her life hell.  
  
She remembered her conversation with her foster mother at the beginning of the summer, when she had asked her why Malfoy behaved so horrendously towards her. She had snorted and dismissed her mother's words as they seemed too unlikely. Hell it wasn't just unlikely that what her foster mother said would happen it would be out right unexpected if it happened anywhere this millennium.  
  
Her mother had told her that Malfoy was just teasing her because he had a crush on her. Thinking of that she rolled her eyes. Malfoy definitely didn't have a crush on her; he just had a bad case of prejudice. Hermione thought it was utterly revolting that he so blindly ignored what was right in front of him, choosing to believe the stupid notions that his father had drummed into his head.  
  
He didn't want to waste time with the mudblood, instead wishing to ponder the interesting letter that had just arrived for him, thus he strode forward quickly, letting her lag behind. He stuck his hands in his pocket and thought back. He wondered if it would really happen. He then shrugged knowing that there would be nothing he could do.  
  
Hermione's thought's drifted to her new found heritage. She knew that there were only very few pureblood families in the world and she hoped that she would find her real parents. She regretted not finding out who her parents really were when she had the chance. She wondered why she was so apprehensive to know.  
  
She had written a letter in her head, asking her parents who her real parents were. But she did not know if she would have the nerve to know, what is they were like the Malfoys or worse...she thought as she looked at Malfoy walking ahead of her.  
  
Shaking her head she rid herself of those thoughts and forced herself to think about the task on hand. Again she mentally whined about why Draco Malfoy of all people had to be the Head boy. She wondered how Dumbledore could have allowed for that to happen seeing that Malfoy was just untrustworthy scum.  
  
She wondered if it would be like that throughout the year and asked herself if she would be able to keep her cool. She was already losing patience with him and they hadn't even been together for more than a day. Finally they reached the Transfiguration classroom and she walked in to find Malfoy sitting on a chair with his feet up on the table, deep in thought.  
  
He looked different without the malice that usually shone in his eyes whenever she was present. His eyes instead held a clam but at the same time seemed impenetrable as though no one could reach him and no one would ever understand. Emotions swirled around his usually emotionless eyes. It seemed like he was a completely different person when not in the presence.  
  
Of course that would be regular Slytherin behavior as none of the Slytherins behaved like they really were in front of others. They always put up walls in front of themselves and never let anyone see the real them.  
  
Suddenly he snapped out of it and realized that she was there. "What mudblood?" he spat annoyed that she had seen him at his most vulnerable. Hermione jerked out of her funk only to see that Malfoy's eyes were back to normal; cold and full of malice. He nearly murdered himself for letting himself slip into the place in his mind where no one could touch him even when he was aware that anyone could barge in on him. He never wanted that mudblood of all people to be the one to see him like that.  
  
He knew that she would definitely use that against him. It would be hilarious for her, to tell everyone in Gryffindor that the heartless Malfoy could actually have an emotion other that malice and anger. He smirked to himself when he thought of that as he knew that no one would believe Hermione and instead send her to St Mungos.  
  
"Nothing," she snapped before she started discussing what the prefects should do. He seemed still distracted and just nodded in her general direction whenever she paused. He was still distracted by an idea that had just struck him. He would have to find out who it was, I mean it would be the person he would have to...  
  
"Malfoy. Are you even listening? You aren't making this any easier you know?" Hermione shouted. Then she got up and stormed out of the room after hissing "Why don't you do it yourself." She let the door slam after her knowing that this was very unlikely behavior on her part.  
  
Malfoy stared after her. He was shocked at her behavior. Whenever he had seen her with Potter and Weasly he assumed that she was hiding behind them but in a time span of a day he realized that she was in fact the brains of most of their operations. He had never seen self-confidence of such height in anyone. She had dared defy a Malfoy; of course for that she would pay but still he couldn't help admiring her courage. No one out of his family had ever treated him like that, like they were his equal, maybe even like he was unworthy to be in their presence.  
  
Sighing he decided that he might as well shake out thoughts of his father's letter until later and start on the duty assigning. He moved lethargically, took a quill and charmed it before lying back in the chair and dictating what he wanted the quill to write. I soothing scratching filled the air as the quill scribbled over the piece of parchment.  
  
Hermione stopped stomping half way and started walking calmly. She decided that this would be a good time for her to start her letter to her parents. Walking into her room she picked up a piece of parchment and a quill. Hesitating for a moment she stopped to think if she really wanted to know. It would be a huge blow to her if she found out if her parents were dead or worse, like the Malfoys.  
  
She did not want to live in the world of the elite or those that thought they were elite and be married off as soon as her school ended. She had read that all pureblood families married their children once they graduated. Hermione had dreams for herself, dreams that she would never be able to reach while juggling a family.  
  
Another part of her chided herself saying that is was now or never. She dipped her quill into ink and started.

* * *

Dear Mom and Dad? Mr. and Mrs. Granger,  
  
I'm sorry for being mad at you when you told me about me being adopted. I guess I was just...Never mind. Well even though I said I didn't want to know who they were well now I do. Please write to me soon and tell me who they are and what they're family name is. Well could I still call you mom and dad? I'm sorry for running off, I hope you didn't worry  
  
With Love, Your daughter? Hermione  
  
P.S: Can still come home during the summer holidays?

* * *

Hermione read the letter over and finally decided that she was satisfied. She leaned onto the couch and thought back to when her parents had told her she was adopted.

* * *

Sunlight streamed into her window and hit her directly in her face. She lazed about in bed until finally getting out and padding over to the bathroom. She walked over to the bath and turned on the tap before starting to brush her teeth while the tub filled up. The bubble bath was nothing compared to those in the Hogwarts prefect bathroom but she loved the vanilla smell. Her mother had gotten it for her birthday last year but she had left it at home, forgetting to bring it back to school with her.  
  
The smell of waffles wafted up the stair and she quickly took a bath, changed and ran down the stairs. She adored her mother's cooking. She especially loved her mother's special recipe for waffles with ice cream and chocolate fudge sauce.  
  
It seemed like any normal day. Her mother was baking the waffles and father having his daily cup of coffee while reading the newspaper. When she entered the kitchen her father put down the papers and her mother looked at her misty eyed.  
  
"Hermione darling we have something to tell you," her father said and her mother moved behind his chair and held his shoulders. Hermione looked at them quizzically and wondered what they were getting at.  
  
"Don't tell me. Oh my god you're expecting aren't you mom," she exclaimed when it finally hit her. Hermione broke into a grin, knowing that she was going to have a little sister or brother, as she had always yearned for. Her mother smiled sadly and averted her eyes as though the scene about to occur was too much for her.  
  
"No honey, your mother's not expecting. We just decided that it would be a good time to tell you..." he said trailing off.  
  
"Tell me what?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Well dear. You're adopted. Your family got in touch. They're one of the oldest pureblood families in the world. Honey, don't cry, we still love you with all our hearts. We wanted to find out who they were so we could tell you when the time was right but when we saw that they were wizards we thought you might want to know..." Her father rambled from nervousness, noticing tears leaking out of her eyes.  
  
"Don't you ever think that we don't love you dear? It's just, we thought you had the right to know, so you wouldn't be taken by storm when they came," he whispered.  
  
Hermione felt numb as though this was all a dream but she knew it wasn't. She rose from her chair and suddenly rage like no other possessed her, "Why did you tell me? I would have been much better off not knowing!" she screamed before swiftly turning around and walking back to her room.  
  
She was thinking clearly despite the raging inferno that was consuming her heart at that very moment. She couldn't cry. She WOULDN'T cry. She had to be strong. But still a lone tear managed to escape her brimming eyes and hung at her cheek bone, neither falling nor going away. For moments she was occupied by that tear. Staring at it, trying to distract herself so that the information would not sink in.  
  
From the corner of her eyes she saw her father stand up but her mother retrained him telling him that she most probably needed time on her own. Using her finger she flicked away the tear and ascended the steps to her room.  
  
Even though she was raging Hermione knew one thing. She had to get out of there and that she should never tell a soul. Once in the solace of her room she threw all her things into her trunk helter-skelter. Finally after double checking every thing she shrunk the trunk and put it in a pocket. Leaving a note telling them that she was gone but she was safe and not to come looking for her, she taped it onto her desk and then stealthily tiptoed down the steps.  
  
Realizing her parents were still in the kitchen she snuck out of the back door but not before she heard her mother say, "Do you think we did the right thing Sweet heart?"  
  
Even as tempted as Hermione was to shout at their face a big fat no, she couldn't as she knew that if she stopped now, she would never get away and she would have to join her pureblood parents something which she wasn't ready for and she never believed that she would ever be ready for.  
  
She hailed the knight bus a few blocks away from her home and asked them to take her to the burrow. Before she was there she wiped away all her tears and put on a huge fake grin. She knew she wasn't ready to tell anyone not even her best friends. Especially knowing their tendency to worry about her. She would just have to fake being happy; she told herself and never let anyone know what had happened.  
  
When she had arrived at the burrow, they greeted her with open arms and all the while she pretended that she had to live with them as her parents were away on a trip and as they all believed her she had no problems.

* * *

"The prefectorial board meeting starts in ten minutes," the cool voice announced. Quickly Hermione stuffed her letter in her robe pocket and dashed out of her common room saying a quick goodbye to Ella.  
  
"Looking good," Ella called after her. Hermione reached the Transfiguration classroom just in time. There were only four fifth year prefects, six sixth year prefects and eight seventh year prefect that year. She nodded at them and went to stand at the front of the classroom. Snatching the list out of Malfoy's hand she quickly skimmed through is. As everything seemed in order she charmed it to enlarge into a screen.  
  
Using her wand as a pointer she explained everything to all the prefects. After a few minor changes were made due to quidditch practice she told the prefects that they would be having a Valentines Day ball.  
  
At this Parvati Patil a seventh year prefect shrieked, "Oh my god. That is so cool!" Malfoy smirked condescendingly at all the female prefects who immediately started gossiping about the upcoming ball. He knew for a fact that they would all swoon and die on the spot if he asked any of them, and the fact that his father would probably kill him if he went out with anyone who had not passed the Malfoy test. Suddenly there was a rap at the door. Dumbledore strode in with Professor McGonagall behind him.  
  
"That went very well for a first meeting and yes; there will be a Valentines Day ball. The prefects will be in charge of everything, from decoration to food. This will be a test of your responsibility. Congratulations on making the Prefectorial board. Goodnight," he said but Professor McGonagall didn't leave instead she told the heads that she needed to use the room to prepare her lessons for Monday.  
  
"If that's all, thank you for coming. We're adjourned for today," Malfoy said before striding out of the classroom toward the common room. As Hermione walked out of the classroom she heard Ginny and Paravti talking among themselves. As she walked up to them, they stopped talking with very guilty expressions on their faces.  
  
Hermione was stricken. She right away assumed that Ginny was talking about what she had told her that day. What else could it be, seeing that Ginny had nothing else against her. Her eyes widened and tears brimmed in her eyes.  
  
"How could you. Of all people I thought that you would never tell!" she screamed at a very confused Ginny and ran off to her portrait; tears pouring freely down her face. Ella took one look at her face and asked her if she was alright but instead Hermione just shook her head and muttered the password before practically shoving herself into the common room. She like Ella and was getting quite fond of the lady but at that moment she felt so betrayed that she couldn't deal with anything at all at that moment.  
  
There Malfoy lay on the couch and he saw her crying. "Been bawling your eyes out because your parents don't want you Granger," he spat.  
  
"Shut up you...you...you ferret. I have had enough of your snide comments. Just leave me alone. So you now know about my parents aren't really my parents. Why haven't you gone to tell the whole school? Huh Malfoy. I would have expected you to announce it during dinner. You go out of your way to get me. Is it a need to see me at my weakest huh? Well you have and now you can be happy right!" she screamed, tears plopping onto the floor, letting all the rage she had felt for weeks to come out. She then crumpled onto the floor in a heap of sobbing mess. Her parents weren't her parents, her friend couldn't be trusted and her enemy had seen her at her weakest.  
  
"Are you done Mudblood?" Malfoy said nonchalantly as though she was not worth his attention. At that she stood up, strode up to him and raised her hands as though to slap him but he caught it and used it to pull him close to her. His eyes were so close and all she could see was hate and malice. Suddenly she was extremely frightened of what he would do to her.  
  
"You don't know me Granger," he hissed before pushing her away and stalking into his room.

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AN:Well guys here's the chapter that was deleted by accident. I will try iron out all probs by weds this week ok? Oh yeah read and review


	6. Chapter 5

AN:Hey babes and dudes sorry for not updating so much...I have 90 reviews. OMGOMGOMG...I love all you guys. U rock so much....Ahhh i'm on a high...maybe it's just the ice-cream (i went for an ice-cream eating competition) Haha...The mad things i do. I couldn't even finish half the tub...i tell you i feel like a pig. Gods...Thankfully i don't have a tummy bulge (Hundred sit ups a day) Ok well...Sorry for that as I said I'm on a high

Here's the chapter:

ENJOY

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START:

After he slammed the door in that mudblood's face, Malfoy flumped onto his bed, suddenly tired even. He felt no guilt over the fact that the mudblood had broken down in front of; but strangely he didn't feel triumph as he was supposed to. Her eyes yet again, he wondered why he was obsessed about her eyes, but they were just like windows to her soul, showing the world exactly how she felt.  
  
The fact that he had seen his arch nemesis break down in front of him made him feel, nothing. Nothing at all. His father would definitely use one of the unforgivable curses on him if he found out that he was going easy on the mudblood. It had been ingrained from the very beginning that they were scum.  
  
"I must be going soft," Malfoy thought to himself as he shook his head. He wondered who her parents were. If they were purebloods there might be a chance he was related to that know-it-all mudblood. Shuddering at the thought of seeing her even after school he wiped the image off his mind, dismissing it as his wild imagination running ahead of him.  
  
He wondered how his  
  
His thoughts drifted to the letter that his father had sent him the earlier night, it was rather short and brief as though his father was in a rush when writing it. He remembered the dread he had felt when he saw his father's owl Lucifer framed by the moonlight. Only his father would think of naming his owl after the devil himself.  
  
He picked up the letter and read it.  
  
Draco,  
  
We have chosen a perfect bride for you. You don't know her. Nothing is confirmed yet. I have to go now, the dark lord requires me to be at his side now.  
  
Take care son, Father.  
  
His father's handwriting was somewhat like his, cursive that held much formality in it. Though this time it was a scrawl, as though his hands were shaking. Draco realized that his father was under a lot of pressure have to keep his image up to the ministry and at the same time serve Voldemort.  
  
Malfoy knew the day would come when he would be bethroed to a girl he never knew; it was in the pureblood culture after all, for the two children to be married. Almost none of the purebloods had married out of their circle and anyone who married a mudblood or worse a muggle, was treated as though they had committed a heinous crime or had an incurable disease.  
  
Malfoy thought of his parents, they too had had an arranged marriage and anyone on the outside commented on how great their match was. Malfoy could remember the times when in his child hood they had fought. Vases had to be replaced everyday and in the end by the time Malfoy was fourteen, his parents lived in the same house yes, but they hardly ever interacted but at the same time, never interacted with each other; not even acknowledging each other's presence.  
  
Malfoy knew that at public parties that they threw, they put up an act, and act for the whole world, that they were a 'perfect' couple. At those parties they stood dressed in Dior, Armani, Vogue or whatever else was in the rage at that time, attached to each other but once the guests left and the act was over, their true selves surfaced and the fights broke out.  
  
He realized that his mind was drifting off and he was not thinking about the matter at hand. He knew that he should have expected it but after the letter it loomed in front of him like a dark cloud. It was in the Malfoy culture to not defy his parents and he did not have any mind to. It was just that he didn't want his married life to become one like his parents who lived in the same house yet hardly ever came into contact with each other.  
  
He had never thought about or even fantasized about his wedding before. He knew many people did but seriously, what was the point? It was just for one day. He didn't want children. It was something he had known throughout his whole life but at the same time, all pureblood families are expected to produce an heir. It wasn't a choice, more like an obligation.  
  
Everyone assumed that Malfoys were not capable of love and after hearing over and over again; Draco had psyched himself into believing it. "Oh well, I guess I just have to hope for the best. At least it's not Pansy," he told himself shuddering as a mental image of the clingy Slytherin came to mind. He had managed to avoid her so far but she had a horrible knack of tracking him down and acting so cutesy that it made him want to puke...  
  
Slowly his thoughts faded away as sleep claimed him, though to be serious, his subconscious mind was more disturbing than his conscious.  
  
Hermione on the other hand was having trouble getting sleep as thoughts of her heritage kept haunting her. Her parents...her family...She then remembered that she had yet to send the letter. Telling herself that she would do so in the morning she closed her eyes and waited for sleep to come and claim her. Unfortunately it didn't and as she heard the clock tick, subconsciously counting the seconds. She stared into space when suddenly a wave of nausea hit her and she screamed.  
  
She had just had a strange dream. She had seen Voldemort "Avada Kerdavra" Harry. It had seemed so real. The dead people, some in hooded cloaks and others wearing white cloaks with the ministry of magic emblem on them. She tried her best to recollect exactly what had happened and strangely she found that she could remember everything.  
  
Usually when she woke up from a dream, the details were sketchy and trying to hold onto them would seem like trying to hold water in a cupped hand, it slipped through the finger even faster that she could say, "He-who- must-not-be-named."  
  
START OF DREAM  
  
Harry and Voldemort were in the air facing each other. They were swirling around and Voldemort's chin length hair whipped against his high cold cheek bones as they started revolving around faster. Neither of them seemed perturbed by the fact that they were now over twenty meters off the ground and the drop could cause them much more than a fractured shoulder.  
  
Both of them had their wands pointed at each other weren't moving an inch, just trying to outdo each other with their glares.  
  
Harry's usually emerald green eyes were flashing and they had grown darker, somewhere between forest green and black. His scar white and that was when Hermione realized how much pain he was going through to not break the strange connection between himself and Voldemort.  
  
She saw the backs of three people, two of them quite tall and the third only at their ear height. She only noticed their heights as they were ascending the air as thought they were standing on was rising but there was nothing under their feet which hung limply having nothing to stand. As they joined the circling duo they two were sucked into it and their long brown hair whipped across their faces making it impossible to figure out who they were.  
  
The circle started moving faster and faster and everything started to blur. She saw that the three of them stood behind Harry whose almost always unkempt hair seemed even more unkempt. The day which was just sunny rapidly began to get gloomy as clouds blocked the sun from view. Wind grew stronger, whipping through Hermione's hair as she stood and watched the foursome swirl around.  
  
Suddenly the air was filled with eerie chanting, and she felt as though she should be able to recognize one of the voices but she couldn't place her finger on it.  
  
Harry's scar seemed to split as he arched backwards, not falling because of the magic that the trio had done. White light spilled out of it and the whole battle field was illuminated by it. Voldemort's face contracted in fear as though he had not expected anything of that kind to happen.  
  
If possible the five some started revolving even faster and a strange sound joined the combined chanting of the three females. Harry finally regained consciousness and came to. Jumping to his feet, he picked up his wand and pointed it at Voldemort.  
  
Harry's face was blank...he looked at Voldemort with emotionless eyes and suddenly Voldemort moved so quickly that Hermione gasped to herself. The chanting stopped for a few seconds as though the trio were shocked. At this, the golden light surrounding them dimmed a little.  
  
Realizing what had happened the trio started chanting again but this time the words were cleared, they were saying something in Latin... a renowned language for spells.  
  
" Suddenly there was a flash of green light...  
  
END OF DREAM  
  
That was all that Hermione had seen as she was jolted awake from whatever daze it was that she was in. She had assumed that Harry had died knowing that he would never go to the lengths of killing anyone, but unfortunately she didn't know about Trelawney's prophesy.  
  
She told herself to breathe but at the same time Voldemort's evil face came into view and she screamed this time around louder than the first.  
  
"What the eff..." Malfoy thought as he was woken up rudely from his sleep by a screaming female. "Gods she is going to pay...that bit...woman was going to pay," he muttered himself, cutting himself off when he nearly said what he had said. Just as it had been ingrained into him to be uncaring and aloof and a hater of mudbloods he was also trained how to be a gentle man and gentlemen never cussed.  
  
He would not bring himself down to the levels that only muggles and mudbloods resided in by using those few words even when alone. Pushing himself off the bed, he went in the direction of Hermione's room, cautious that it was a ploy to catch him off guard as all Slytherins were paranoid.  
  
She sunk to the floor and at a corner and brought her knees to her chest, sobbing in fetal position. She wanted anyone, someone to come tell her that it was okay and that it was just a dream. Hermione knew it was just a dream but she couldn't get the picture out of her head, it kept replaying it in her mind, torturing herself.  
  
Suddenly Malfoy burst into the room only to see Hermione leaning against the wall and crying. Her face was white and he felt the fear she was feeling envelope him even though he didn't know what it was that she feared.  
  
"What's your problem mudblood? Did the bed bugs bite," Malfoy injected spitefully full and well knowing that it wasn't a good time. It was in his nature to torture Hermione.  
  
Hermione looked up only to see Malfoy and then deciding that she would just ignore him, buried her head in her hands and took staggered breaths trying to regain her calm.  
  
She wondered why she was so tetchy over things, seeing that this was the god knows how manyeth time she had cried or felt so strongly about something. Finally her breathing returned to regular and she looked up to see that Malfoy had left most probably bored that she wasn't acknowledging his presence.  
  
Soon there was a line of green in the horizon signifying that daybreak was approaching, Hermione shot out of bed not getting any sleep at all as she was only thinking about the dream and walked into the bathroom. Brushing her teeth and taking a quick bath she put her robes on over some clothes she had thrown onto herself. She noticed that her hair was still straight and anger surged through her when she remembered what Ginny had done.  
  
She wondered what had made Ginny betray her trust and tell others even though Hermione had specified that she wanted it to be confidential. She scanned her room and finally her eyes fell on the calendar. It was her birthday. Elatedness washed over her for mere moments until she remembered that it might not really be her birthday, seeing that she was adopted.  
  
She felt her mood swing violently and then she remembered that she had to send the letter to her parents. Getting up she walked to the owlery and seeing that she didn't have her own owl, she coaxed down a school owl and tied the letter to it's feet. It pecked her hand affectionately and took of and she watched as it faded into the distance. Finally it faded away and she walked out of the owlery and back to her common room, deciding to reread her transfiguration essay and make sure that she had all points required. Hermione laughed when she realized that even in crisis homework seemed to be her first priorities.  
  
When she walked into the common room she saw Malfoy asleep on the couch. He was twisted in a strange way like anyone would have been, when trying to sleep on a couch. Hermione smiled at this and realized that that just goes to show that Draco-I'm-much-greater-than-the-world's-population Malfoy was human too. "Oh man he hinders me even when he's asleep," she muttered as she walked back to her room. He was asleep on her transfiguration textbook so she couldn't check her essay.  
  
Ella Enchanted appeared on the blank frame in her room. "Could I stay here awhile love, I've been bored to death. You know that knight what's-his- name did serve for comic relief," she said. Hermione nodded and started to read through her potions essay checking a few books every once in a while.  
  
"Are you doing potions, Oh yes...I remember Professor. Snape, Potion master isn't he? Well I might say...he's not very - what's the word? - nice," Ella commented when she remembered the encounter that she had with him at the beginning of the year.  
  
"Yeah, he always sides with the Slytherins, especially Malfoy...that git," Hermione hissed trailing off. She turned to face Ella as they started talking as she felt it was rude to just ignore someone.  
  
"That Malfoy boy, has he always been that rude?" Ella asked remembering the incident from the day before. Hermione nearly burst into laughter at that.  
  
"Had Malfoy always been that rude...that's a good one. I bet he was born that way." Ella giggled at this then said, "So...you and Mister Malfoy eh?"  
  
Hermione was taken aback. "No. Oh my god, that is the biggest misconception ever," she stuttered. "He is the most annoying, self-centered idiot to exist," she added. She wondered how Ella could have had such a huge misconception.  
  
"Talking about me ladies?" Malfoy's cool voice said and both of them turned to see that Malfoy was leaning against the doorframe looking directly into Hermione's eyes. He laughed at her choice of words, he then realized that she too never used swear words. He had an amused expression on his face as he was partaking in his favorite hobby; irking Hermione.  
  
Hermione was truly annoyed this time. She wondered why Malfoy always popped up whenever he was not wanted. She stared back into his eyes and soon they were partaking in a staring match seeing who would out stare the other. Hermione saw Malfoy was looking down at her since she was seated on the floor. She didn't want to feel inferior so she stood up but at same time didn't take her eyes off him.  
  
They continued staring at each other, unblinkingly. Hermione and Draco's stubbornness mixed together. Suddenly having enough of it, Hermione broke the connection and told Malfoy to go away.  
  
"So fair mudblood, you admit defeat," Malfoy said in a smug tone.  
  
"Leave me alone Malfoy," Hermione said waving her hand so as to make her expression clearer and to tell him to go away and suddenly the door slammed shut on his face. Shocked she stared at the door and waved her hand again, it flew open revealing a very mad Malfoy.  
  
A million thoughts were running along Hermione's mind many of them along the lines of how she managed to control the movements of the door without using magic or physically touching it.  
  
Malfoy stared daggers at Hermione, angered that she had slammed the door in his face. His anger prevented him from thinking further and thus he never considered how she managed to do something that Voldemort himself had been trying to achieve...  
  
"How did I..." Hermione said trailing off.  
  
At that very moment, Danielle Grenaldi shot out of bed, her blonde hair askew. Her pretty face contorted with horror. "Ohhhh ...Mon chérie... Notre fille ... son puissance êtes sans bornes ... She's à une école ... timbre de la lion ... Britannique accentuer," she stuttered, shaking her husband awake.  
  
(Ohhhh...my darling...our daughter...her powers are unbound...she's in school...lion's crest...British accent)  
  
He awoke with a start and replied, "We'll s'en aller sitôt petit déjeuner c'est terminé. We'll scruter l'ensemble de Grande-Bretagne. Hushh... Maintenant se calmer," he said soothingly to his poor wife. He said the first part rather forcefully, after finally getting hope of finding his daughter.

* * *

AN:Hey guyz, finally an update right? Sorry I took so long. Stupid Biology end-of-instruction...I hope I aced it, my parents expect no less...it's so annoying that they have such high expectations of me. Ok ok I shall stop ranting on and on about myself. Oh yeah, sorry if my French sucks. I only started lessons this year and I had to use a online translator cuz I couldn't be bothered taking out my French-English dictionary and looking up the words then putting them into proper sentences. Well anyway, is there any experienced French speakers, who are also fluent in English because I think I really need help with my French translations. My computer crashed so I am still typing this at my mom's labtop and since the internet competition is so sucky that I can't be online for long so umm yeah sorry of I still haven't e-mailed you...Thank you to all my wonderful reviwers...thank you so much  
  
Oh by the way...my fave charmed character is Phoebe...  
  
Oh yeah please read and review, it is highly important that people tell me how the feel about the story at this point as then I'll have a idea on where the story should go...okay that's about all. Hey wait...  
  
One more thing...even as much as I love the reviews telling me that my story rawks (headgetsbiggerandbigger) I still prefer CCs as they give me a idea on what is wrong with the story and what I should continue doing...  
  
Ooopps that was a really long Author's not wasn't it?

I'm sorry.

I'm outie.

Am I annoying you....

If not?

That's good...

If I am then...

Well I don't know

Ok then sorry about that it's just me being weird.

I'm outie

For real now.

Bye.

Why are you still here?

(' ',)

Bye.


	7. Chapter 6

AN:Ok people. Here's the update that all of ya'll been waiting for. There isn't too much in it but i feel that this chapter reveals quite a little bit. Oh yeah in the last chapter I forgot to translate what Danielle's husband said. It's something along the lines of.

(We'll leave to find our daughter right after breakfast. We'll search the whole of Britain. Hushh….Now calm down)

Sorry about that...Oh my god...I just read the best fic. It's a Lily/James fic and I am so in love with it. Go check it's on my faves list...

Ok that's about all. Anyway enjoy and thanks to all the wonderful reviewers.

* * *

Ella's eyes widened and her mouth opened and closed, making her resemble a fish when she saw what Hermione did with a mere flick of her hand. She had only seen five other people who had powers that were so pronounced. Only five other people in the world were so closely bonded to magic that it consumed their very soul, their very being and they were one with magic.  
  
They were all thankfully not on the side of evil but three of them had since the middle ages renounced the wizarding world and lived as mortals, home-educating their children instead of sending them to academies like Hogwarts or any other wizarding schools for that matter...  
  
The three most powerful witches in time...Together they battled evil in the form of demons from the underworld and performed wandless magic at such ease that it seemed effortless.  
  
There were two wizards that still kept contact with the wizarding world that possessed such abilities. Dumbledore and Harry Potter. Even their magic was nothing compared to the magnitude to which the witches could perform magic.  
  
All these thoughts were flashing through Ella's mind at that very moment when she gaped at Hermione. She caught sight of Malfoy staring at Hermione as though he wanted to tear her head off. He was clenching and unclenching one of his fists and his other hand was rubbing his nose that was bleeding slightly.  
  
"Go to Dumbledore now! Take that Malfoy boy with you as protection. Go now!" she instructed her eyes glazing over as she thought out what the next course of action would be. Upon seeing the look on Hermione's face Ella's expression softened.  
  
At that moment, Malfoy was the last thing on Hermione's mind. Hermione wondered how she had managed such a feat. She had read about wandless magic before and she knew that before a witch or wizard got their wands, they would have the ability to perform wandless magic when influenced with strong emotions; Even then, they would not know they were doing it or determine exactly what they did.  
  
Hermione remembered when they were in their third year; Harry had blown up his aunt. That was exactly what had instigated her to read up on wandless magic. She had learned that the ability to do wandless magic abated once the wizard or witch acquired a wand. She stared at her quivering hand that had caused the door to move when Ella finally spoke again.  
  
"I know you don't like him dearie, but right now it's our only hope. I can only tail both of you in the paintings and there aren't many paintings near Dumbledore's office. Go now!" she added.  
  
"I'm still here you know," Malfoy said his drawling voice getting on Hermione's nerves more than it usually did. He then shrugged and said that he wasn't about to waste his time and energy accompanying a mudblood to a excuse of a headmaster's office.  
  
Ella looked at him reproachfully before saying, "You will take her there now. I will hear no excuses. Leave now. You have wasted enough time. GO!" she said. Her voice eerily calm and her last words said so commandingly that Hermione winced and Malfoy decided that she was not one to mess with.  
  
After seeing that Malfoy would take Hermione to Dumbledore's office, she disappeared and Hermione knew that she was on her way to Dumbledore's office.  
  
Hermione's thoughts were extremely muddled by that time. She knew that she was no powerful witch and that the only reason she did well in all subjects both in practicals and theory was studying. She saw Malfoy looking at her, doubts swimming in his eyes.  
  
Malfoy was shocked, it had finally hit him that Hermione had performed wandless magic and he knew from his father that it was what Voldemort was after...second to ruling the entire universe of course.  
  
He shuddered at the thought of the dark-lord. He knew that his father wanted him to join the ranks of the death-eaters once he graduated from Hogwarts but Malfoy though craving power had seen that the Dark-lord gave none to his faithful death-eaters. He had seen the way his father had to greet Voldemort every time he stopped by for a visit.  
  
He was a Malfoy. He would not; repeat would not kiss the feet of some person who fancied himself Lord. Malfoy had found out that Voldemort was in fact, Tom Riddle. A filthy half-blood. He had not told anyone of his findings as he knew that if the news leaked out, Voldemort would hunt him down and kill him.  
  
He could see it in the eyes of the sick man; He was merciless. He did not care for anyone. Not even for the people he called family. Not even for his closest followers and Malfoy held no doubt that Voldemort would kill his own flesh and blood if they dared defy him.  
  
"Let's go then," Hermione said before making her way to the door. She had shocked him but thankfully due to years of training, he did not allow it to show. Malfoy fell into step beside her.  
  
"So Granger, found another way to get the world's attention have you?" Malfoy hissed, sill not extremely happy over that fact that she had slammed the door over his nose. Thankfully the bleeding had subsided and though his nose still stung, he knew that there was no swelling.  
  
"Shut your trap Malfoy. Right now, the last person I want to deal with is you!" Hermione shouted, her anger getting the better of her. Her pale cheeks colored and she told herself to count to ten.  
  
"I don't take orders from filth Granger," Malfoy hissed, his voice holding a dangerous edge. He too was not in the mood to deal with the self righteous Granger. In fact he never was in the mood to deal with her. She always had to be so perfect.  
  
He glared at her, blaming her for making him have to walk all the way to Dumbledore's office. He had only been in there once and at that time; it had not been Dumbledore's office but Professor. Umbridge's. He remembered the toad like lady whose shrill girlish voice had grated on his nerves since the beginning.  
  
The only thing that made him stay on her good side was ample warnings from his father who was a school governor. He had hated her simpering manner and the way she fussed over him, treating him like a three-year old. It had definitely been a mistake on her part, treating a Malfoy like that as one of the Malfoy's traits was dignity. Her treating him like a toddler only caused him to lose dignity in front of his peers.  
  
He noticed that Granger was glaring at him and a traditional Malfoy smirk found its way to his lips.  
  
"You know what Malfoy? I don't care anymore. Call me filth, call me a mudblood. Because you know what...I'm not one. Not one to care that is," Hermione said, quickly covering up for what she had blurted out accidentally.  
  
Malfoy picked up on her quick change of her sentence and wondered if it were true that she wasn't a mudblood. He decided that he wasn't one to care as it didn't affect him, other than the fact that he could no longer call he mudblood. Deciding to ignore her, he let his mind drift, yet again to wondering who his bride-to-be was.  
  
Both of them made their way to Dumbledore's office in silence. Hermione shot a glance at Malfoy from the corner of her eyes as he had suddenly gone silent. It was as though he was admitting defeat. He was yet again deep in thought but this time his face was not open but stormy as though something was bothering him. His forehead was creased by a frown and his look on the whole was sour.  
  
"Wait a minute, Why do I care if anything is bothering him?" she thought to herself. This was the person who had tormented her since the beginning of her life as a witch. His constant name calling had been the cause of her heart ache and her need to feel acceptance. It was because of him that she felt she would never feel that she belonged, anywhere. Neither in the muggle not wizarding world.  
  
Malfoy caught her looking at him curiously and he said, "Got the hots for me now eh...mudblood," he said seething. He hated the way she looked at him. It was as though he had victimized her. She was pathetic. She wore her heart on her sleeve and let anyone know how she felt.  
  
He hated that she was being such a cry baby that year. He had hated her all along, since their first year but he hated the Granger that cried all the time even more. As a Malfoy, he had been taught never to show his feelings.  
  
"God you're infuriating do you know that?" she screamed ready to pull off all her hair from exasperation. Why did Malfoy always have to pick on her. Why couldn't he just leave her alone. These wounds won't seem to heal. The pain was just too real. There was just too much that time could not erase. She smiled as parts of one of the muggle songs came to her.  
  
She remembered that she had been listening to it the day that she, Ron and Ginny had taken the cab to the station. Somehow, the song had gotten stuck in her head and she found herself humming it from time to time.  
  
"Why thank you, I'll take that as a compliment coming from a mudblood like you who knows no better," he hissed. He knew that now he was purposely prolonging the argument so as to see how far he could stretch Granger.  
  
"Malfoy get over yourself. You might have all the girls in school throwing themselves at your feet but unfortunately I am not one of them," Hermione replied counting to ten in her mind again, telling herself that she would not lose control of her temper again.  
  
"Malfoy's not worth it," she told herself. She didn't want to waste her energies on the rich brat who never had to face reality as he always was hiding behind his father's robes. If he couldn't even fight his own battles then he was definitely not worth her time.  
  
"So found out who your parents are yet or are they hiding not wanting to take a hideous creature like you into their family," he hissed now royally pissed. How dare this mudblood behave as though he was worth nothing.  
  
He had been arguing with her just to see how far he could push her but right at that moment her felt like he was being looked down upon and that did not go well on a Malfoy. He would not tolerate insolence from a mudblood.  
  
"Bugger off Malfoy. You know what. I thought I would never look forward to the day Hogwarts education is over for me but right now I am looking forward to the day I'm rid of you." She said her eyes clouding over as she felt the same sensation that she had before she had slammed the door in Malfoy's face neither touching it nor using her wand. She really did not want to do it again.  
  
She was already feeling the after effects of the magic and she found it hard just concentrating walking. She felt herself rising and had to concentrate on anchoring her feet to the ground. It was as though she was defying gravity and she closed her eyes, willing herself to stay anchored onto the ground.  
  
"Hermione! Mione' wait up..." a voice called behind them. Hermione knew that voice and she opened her eyes and quickened her paces.  
  
"MIONE' Wait! I have to explain! Please," Ginny's voice called and a few curious glances were thrown her way. Hermione stopped walking abruptly and Malfoy collided into her but before he could tell her off, his vision was impaired by a mass of fiery red hair. Ginny had come into a abrupt halt in front of Hermione thus losing her balance and falling on top of Malfoy.  
  
"I haven't got all day," Hermione's voice cut through the silence. Ginny looked up with tears in her eyes and Malfoy was shocked. That voice was so cold, so detached that it was good even on Malfoy standards.  
  
"Mione', I'm sorry. I swear I don't know why you're so pissed. Oh well, I guess I have to tell you..." Ginny rambled on and stopped when she saw the emotionless look that was on Hermione's face. Hermione was tapping her foot almost impatiently on the floor and at the same time, she had her hand's crossed across her chest.  
  
Malfoy who had fallen onto the floor looked up and when he saw her like that, with the confidence she carried herself with, the cool and detached demeanor, she behaved almost like a pureblood.  
  
"Don't call me Mione'. You lost the right to once you started gossiping about my secrets. I trusted you Generva. You broke it and I don't think I could ever trust you again. All in all get out of my face," Hermione said, her voice rid of all emotion but Malfoy noticed that her eyes showed that she felt hurt deeply and betrayal was there. It was a feeling that he knew too well.  
  
Ginny looked confused as though she didn't know what Hermione was going on about. Malfoy wondered it Ginny was really that good an actor. He wondered if she had really told someone about Hermione's secret and or if Hermione had just been at the wrong place at the wrong time and jumped into conclusions.  
  
Hermione strode in front and Malfoy picked himself off the floor and dusted any grime off himself. "Your robes look new. Did your family strike the lottery or something? Later Weaselette," Malfoy hissed into her ear before breaking into a jog to catch up with Hermione. She saw her among the mass of heads in the Great Hall and caught up with her.  
  
He said nothing, suddenly realizing that it would be best to leave her alone to blow off some steam.  
  
Hermione felt terrible. She knew that what Ginny had done was unjustifiable but at the same time she had never been that mean to anyone in her life. She wondered what had snapped inside her, instigating her to be so nasty to Ginny.  
  
The look of approval that she caught Malfoy giving her made her feel like retching. He looked shocked as though he had never expected her to have it in her. She caught Malfoy giving her a once over and yet again the feeling of bile rising up her throat returned.  
  
Though she was thankful that he was not making any comment at all it felt strange that Malfoy had learned how to be humane and sense that she wasn't ready to deal with anything at that moment.  
  
Finally they reached the gargoyle. Its blank eyeballs glared at them unseeingly, giving Hermione the creeps. Hermione realized that that she didn't know the password and offered rather lamely at that the password Dumbledore had at the beginning of the year. Hermione muttered the password, "Sugar Quills." To her utmost surprise, it sprung open and the staircase started moving as soon as they stepped onto it.  
  
When they reached the top and a door came into view, Hermione knocked on it politely. In the time it took for someone to open it she realized that there was something she had never noticed before. There was an intricately carved "D" on the door with ive twining around it an all the edges emitting sparks.  
  
She wondered where she had seen it before. She had a strange feeling that she had seen it over the summer holidays. But before she could figure out where it was that she saw it, the door opened and both of them entered rather hesitantly.  
  
Dumbledore was seated at his desk, reclining on a comfortable looking leather chair. There was something different about him, Hermione finally put her finger on what it was that was different. His eyes held no twinkle like they usually did. There was no beginning of a smile on his face that made him look young and carefree.  
  
In fact he looked so old; so tired. She wondered if she was the cause of his worry and suddenly, something struck her. His eyes...how could she forget? Dumbledore's eyes. They were exactly like...  
  
She mentally chided herself and told herself not to jump to conclusions. She had definitely learnt her lesson; In their first year, they had thought that Snape was the one trying to steal the philosopher's stone when it had been Quirral all along.  
  
But everything fit together so well...  
  
"Ahh... Ella told me you were coming. Hermione take a seat. Draco could you please leave us as we have something we need to discuss?" Dumbledore asked a frown furrowing on his withered and wizened face. His electric blue eyes seemed to be reading Malfoy as hr stared at him. It was something he never really liked about Dumbledore; he seemed to be able to look past someone and read their very soul.  
  
Malfoy found that Dumbledore's eyes like his own managed to conceal his true feelings. But that was where the similarities ended. Dumbledore's eyes even though concealing his emotions still made him seem warm and approachable. They always seemed to twinkle with good humor unlike this time.  
  
Malfoy had never liked Dumbledore seeing that he was a foolish supporter of muggles and mudbloods. At that moment he was rather annoyed at Dumbledore for treating him as though he were a butler.  
  
In the Malfoy Manor, the butler was always asked to escort people to places but was dismissed as though he were an inanimate object. Draco himself was guilty for treating him that way before heck, he still did. He realized that it wasn't really a nice feeling.  
  
Obviously he didn't make any decision to be kinder to his butler as he thought that the butler was paid to put up with being treated that way.  
  
Hermione wondered what it was that Dumbledore wanted to discuss with her in private. She saw the look on Malfoy's face when he realized that he was being dismissed and it was priceless. Hermione knew that in the warped world that was in Malfoy's imagination, Malfoy's were treated like gods of some sorts.  
  
Unfortunately, Dumbledore brushing him off wouldn't go well on him. Hermione smirked despite herself trying to keep it in. Thankfully Malfoy did not catch it or there would be hell to pay for.  
  
"Yeah sure. Senile old codger," Malfoy said muttering the last part of his sentence. Hermione who was still in hearing distance picked up what he had said.  
  
"How dare he? How dare he insult the only person that had taken pity on him and let him stay in Hogwarts even after his father was caught completing orders from Voldemort? Malfoy really does have a huge attitude problem!" Hermione thought to herself. Fuming she turned to him.  
  
The look on the mudblood's face shocked him. Never had he seen her so angry. Even when she had slapped him in his third year, she had not had that look on her face. Blotches of color had appeared on her cheeks. Her eyes were blazing...It was as though heat itself was emanating from her. Suddenly she was rising...and Malfoy meant literally rising.  
  
All Hermione could do was gape in shock as her feet left the ground. They hung limply as there was no ground beneath it. "This is not happening. This is NOT happening!" Hermione told herself. It felt as though she was having a sensory overload the past few days.  
  
Everything seemed so...different. She could pick up smells that were extremely subtle. Hear the footsteps of someone walking at the other end of the castle. From eating the food the house elves made she could make out every ingredient in the dish and this was from someone who did not have a keen sense of taste.  
  
She was close to breaking down. Every thing was haywire; everything. She murmured a little prayer and pried open her eyes. Thankfully she was on the ground again. She was really afraid of heights.  
  
Malfoy was laughing at her seeing the pained expression on her face. That really caused Hermione's blood to boil. Reaching for the nearest thing to her she turned to hit him with it. Only physical pain inflicted on him by her would make her rid herself of anger. Unfortunately what she had grabbed was a teaspoon out of Professor Dumbledore's cup of coffee. "Laugh. At. Me. Will. You?" she said hitting him on the head with the spoon between every word. She hit him on the head with it on last time and then let go of it as she realized that she was in Dumbledore's presence.  
  
Though in her mind she wondered what would happen if the spoon hit Malfoy over and over again. Suddenly another, "Ouch," resounded. Turning in Malfoy's direction she realized that the spoon was following him around and hitting him repeatedly on the head. Hermione stifled her laughter as she saw Malfoy being attacked by the utensils.  
  
She then realized that all the time she got Malfoy that year it had something to do with Utensils. "Wonder why Malfoy has such affiliation to Cutlery? Must be his resemblance to the spoon," Hermione thought to herself as she watched Malfoy running around shouting curses at the spoon which didn't stop hitting him in the head.  
  
"Why does she always have to use kitchen utensils? Ow!" was exactly what was running through Malfoy's mind as he racked his brains for any spell to stop the teaspoon.  
  
Hermione's eyes widened and she looked at Dumbledore.

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Ok babes and dudes. Here's the deal. I've decided that I have to concentrate more on my school work. (More like my mom has after i did badly in yet another test.) So yeah. Updates will be only once a week. I can't say when but if I don't be sure to hound me. If anything it'll force me to sit down and write. Ok then I'm outie. Don't forget to review. It keeps my morale up and makes my ego grow bigger. ('',) Buaiz


	8. Chapter 7

AN:Okay, that took long enough, I had a writer's block. Well it's all cleared up and I'm so looking forward to writing the rest of the chapters. So sorry for the delay. The next chapter will be up next Wednesday. I hope. Let's see how much school work I have...just projects. Geography, Philosophy, Literature, Science and Research studies. I am so screwed. Anyone out there who specializes in the cultivation of orchids please contact me since we need to come up with a plan of how the whole farm, if you might call it that is arranged.That's for geog. Oh yeah and please drop me your opinions of Capital Punishments I really need it for Philo. Lit I can manage, so what about science. Well since it's just a four page report, I'll finish it tonight. Research studies, Drop me your opinion on this.

"Stereotyping of students from top secondary schools causes many detrimental effects such as elitist mindset and depression." Please leave your opinion. It stretches across the year and my group and I have most of it covered except for interviews and surveys. God I'm hopeless. I'm asking for your help in my homework. Never mind. I am so bogged down I need all the help I can get. You don't even have to help, just leave a review and brighten my day. Make me feel more motivated. Ok sorry for that unnecissarily long author's note. On with the story:

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"Fine work of Wandless Magic Miss Granger, but...you might want to lift it, or I'll have to punish you," Dumbledore said his eyes regaining some of its twinkle and a smile forming on his lips. The look that he had on his face was gone, replaced by the one that Hermione was used to.  
  
"But how?" Hermione questioned unsure of what to do.  
  
"Just...do what you did..." Dumbledore said dreamily, but Hermione knew about that voice well enough. He had used it on Harry many a time and it was usually used when he was testing someone, challenging someone to push past their limits. Harry had told her about the tricks Dumbledore had under his sleeve having been a victim to them ever since their first year.  
  
Hermione concentrated hard but unfortunately the sight of Malfoy being chased around the room with a teaspoon on his tail was entirely amusing. She watched through her half closed eyes (She had to at least look as though she was following Dumbledore's instructions) and saw that the teaspoon was still repeatedly thumping itself on his head and he was getting increasingly frustrated.  
  
She knew that she would get it a million times worse later on but at that very moment it seemed as though the consequences were worth what she was witnessing. Deciding that she may as well try to stop the teaspoon, she closed her eyes and thought of the spoon, concentrating on the spoon, she mentally told it to leave Malfoy alone.  
  
There was a soft clank behind her and when she opened her eyes, she saw that the spoon had flew across the room and landed in the mug on Dumbledore's table.  
  
"Professor...I didn't know...I didn't mean to..." Hermione stuttered as she stared in awe at what she had done. When she looked around her and she finally realized what it was that she found amiss. She was hovering a few feet above the ground and her legs were dangling uselessly.  
  
Malfoy stared at her as she began floating up; it was as though she was defying gravity itself. Her hair fanned out behind her and she seemed to be glowing. She looked...passably decent.  
  
Being a Malfoy, this was a huge compliment. He nearly lost control and let his surprise show but thankfully caught himself and pasted a look of extreme displeasure on his face.  
  
Dumbledore too was stuck. He knew that Ella had warned him about the telekinesis and knew that that power on its own was immense and usually made a wizard or witch faint with fatigue after using it. Even he himself had to practice for years, decades even to master the art. His brother Abe too was skilled in wandless magic, though it wasn't telekinesis.  
  
Another student who he had suspected to have possessed such a power was Harry Potter but alas, he had a gut feeling about it. Something he could never tell the world. Something he would have to keep a secret from Harry until the time was right.  
  
Hermione stared below her. Even though she had only risen a few feet, she was feeling faint. It was as though the fatigue was getting to her, even though her fear of heights did have something to do with it. She felt the temptation of unconsciousness calling to her. Its dark fingers caressed the back of her mind, slowly lulling her into slumber.  
  
Suddenly she dropped. She dropped so sharply that neither Dumbledore nor Malfoy could catch her. Thankfully she came to a rest somewhere a meter and half off the ground, though he her head was lulling dangerously and her legs were bent in what seemed to be an extremely uncomfortable situation.  
  
She hung limply in the air and both Dumbledore and Malfoy were too shocked to move. Finally Malfoy regained his senses. His feelings were conflicted so he couldn't decide what to do.  
  
Dumbledore had expected that she would drop but unfortunately it was too quick for him to do anything about it. He saw her freeze a certain height above the ground and it was as though she had lost control of all her limbs and she hung limply. He would have made a move to help her but decided that it was a good time for Malfoy to help her.  
  
He himself couldn't understand how she had managed to stop falling even though she was unconscious, or seemed to be. He pretended to be in shock as he contemplated what it was that stopped her. "Could it be...No it is impossible? She can't be..." was exactly what was running through his mind at that very moment.  
  
How could Dumbledore the most renowned wizards in time be in shock for so long. Knowing Dumbledore, it was most probably a ploy to get him to be friends with the filthy mudblood. He decided he may as well do something about it instead of letting her stay hanging limply in the air for so long.  
  
Pulling his wand out of his robe pocket, he muttered a simple spell that he had learned in his first year, "Wingardium Leviosa." He levitated her to the couch, making sure that she hit her head against the couch hard. He had of course not forgotten about her pulling one over him in front of the head master.  
  
He had assumed that she would back off, after he had threatened her, but unfortunately she was not going to make it any easier for him. Dumbledore finally snapped out of whatever trance it was that he was in and rushed to Hermione's side.  
  
Malfoy leaned against the wall and coolly regarded them as the head master made sure that Hermione had suffered no pressing injuries. Her hair was fanned out behind her and kept rising every time she breathed out. He noticed that the glow was slowly ebbing away and her finger twitched.  
  
Suddenly, a head popped up at the fireplace of the office. "Dumbledore, you are needed emergently at the ministry, we have caught a few death eaters and they are being held at trial. The minister requests that you are present," A pompous looking ministry official said.  
  
He was wearing a bowler hat and Malfoy smiled to himself as he imagined the man flooing with a hat on. Even though the floo network had a lost and found office, not many people claimed things found there. He had been there once when his father had gone there to see the minister.  
  
Draco had wandered into a room packed with queer odds and ends. Countless pairs of glasses, Umbrellas and even a rubber duck was found in the room that contained almost everything. He had whiled away the hours by amusing himself by calling out for obscure objects only to find that they came rushing in his direction.  
  
"Well...this is a rather bad time Anthony but I guess that I have to put the welfare of my students in my first priority," Dumbledore commented.  
  
"Dumbledore you must go! You won't imagine who it is. It's Bill Weasley Dumbledore, Bill Weasley!" the man commented.  
  
Dumbledore for one of the few times in his life was caught off guard. "Bill Weasley?" he inquired in a light tone so as to not let on that it had taken him by surprise. The official nodded.  
  
"Well it looks like I have no choice but to take these two. You will come with me Mr. Malfoy and take care of Miss Granger's needs as I might be caught up with things there, Oh yes and you will not mention this to anyone as your position of head boy and enrollment on this school is at stake here," Dumbledore said adding the last bit in a rather threatening note.  
  
He didn't usually resort to using threats, instead choosing to trust someone. Unfortunately, he could trust a giant, a werewolf and yet he could not trust his own student. Yet considering whom it was, he had every reason not to.  
  
Draco Malfoy had been elected head boy as he was to only one suitable for the position and Dumbledore was not very bothered to put up with yet another visit from Lucius Malfoy inquiring none to subtly why his son was not elected head boy. At these trying times all his energies were focused into defeating Voldemort and thus he didn't want yet another problem on his plate.  
  
Sure he didn't seem the type who shied away from problems but at the very moment, when the whole wizarding world was in peril he felt that he would deal with first things first; In this case, Voldemort.  
  
Malfoy was looking at him derisively but Dumbledore knew that he should ignore him. He hoped that Malfoy would rise to the challenge and actually treat Miss Granger well by looking past their differences but at that time he felt himself give up on something for the first time in his life.  
  
He had seen Hermione's hatred for Malfoy in her eyes and he knew with hate that passionate, it would be of no use completely to get them to treat each other civilly. "Mr. Malfoy. You will take care of Miss Granger and you will be held responsible for her well being. If anything untoward happens..." Dumbledore said trailing of, deciding to leave it up to Malfoy's imagination to come up with the punishments he would get.  
  
Malfoy rolled his eyes and looked heaven wards, wondering how he had sinned in his past life to deserve this. Realizing it was best not to anger the head master when he was in such a mood, he nodded but at the same time made it clear that he was doing it only out of necessity.  
  
Dumbledore was surprised that the boy had given in without a fight. Hermione's groan broke the silence and both of them turned to look at her. She was still lying motionless on the couch but she had made a noise and her fingers were moving.  
  
"For the first time using wandless magic, that was definitely a fast recovery. Usually the people are knocked out for a day or more but she for a mere few minutes," Dumbledore muttered to himself.  
  
Malfoy too was shocked. He had witnessed Voldemort practicing wandless magic. His master himself had collapsed in front of them and been unconscious for a whole day just for moving a glass across the table. He had been sworn to secrecy as no one should know that Voldemort had been unable to do something.  
  
Hermione shuffled a bit and nearly shrieked from the pressure. It was as though every bone in her body was broken and her skin felt tight over her body. She tried to step up but collapsed on the floor in a heap.  
  
"You don't seem to be fit for movement but nothing Fawkes here can't help," Dumbledore said and the phoenix flew and landed on top of Hermione. The little extra weight that the phoenix provided caused her to feel extreme pain and Hermione cried out.  
  
Soon droplets of liquid were flowing down her body. It seemed as though her body was absorbing it and soon the pain faded into a background, becoming only a memory. She stood up but her legs were wobbly and she clutched around in search of something to hold onto. She grabbed something solid and steadied herself, getting used to the pull of gravity again.  
  
Malfoy nearly pulled back when the filthy mudblood laid her hands on him, but the look the Dumbledore gave him made him stay put. He knew that if he moved and she fell he would be entirely at blame even as unfair as they were; he had to comply to his head master's rules.  
  
Hermione steadied herself and looked to her left to see what it was that save her from her fall. She nearly gasped in shock when she realized that she had somehow managed to grab hold of Malfoy's shoulders. Immediately she let go but then she swayed on the spot before falling again.  
  
Malfoy smirked at her and didn't even offer a hand to help. Hermione sighed with frustration and used the couch to pull herself up. She couldn't understand how she had forgotten how gravity felt and she had no idea what had happened. All she remembered was finding out that she was floating and then it seemed that everything had blacked out.  
  
Finally, steadying herself by holding onto the table for her dear life she got used to being upright. "What happened? How am I able to do magic without a wand?" she asked petrified at what was happening. Malfoy smirked at her cruelly even though he himself was itching to know how she managed to do what Lord Voldemort himself was trying his best to achieve.  
  
"Well Miss Granger, unfortunately I don't know for sure. In fact all I have are my theories. Now is not the right time for it, we have to go to the ministry for a trial..." he said trailing off, worried about how she would take the news.  
  
"Who's on trail?" Hermione asked still not catching on that the news would affect her personally. She looked at Dumbledore questioningly and saw that the twinkle that was in his eyes earlier was gone, diminished, and lost in the depths of what seemed to be sadness.  
  
"A filthy Weasley, mudblood! Wonder how much the dark lord paid him? He must have needed the money. They must be really poor judging from the dump they call home," Malfoy said spitefully coming out of the dark corner.  
  
"You..." Hermione started before the news truly sunk in. "A Weasley!?" Hermione asked her voice tinted with confusion and pain. She looked pleadingly at Dumbledore as though wishing that he would assure her that Malfoy was lying, that a Weasley hadn't gone bad.  
  
But Dumbledore wasn't looking at her. "We will have none of that cussing Mr. Malfoy. Detention of course and maybe we might have to call your parents in," Dumbledore said with a controlled voice. He wasn't easily angered but Malfoy had just managed to do just that. The young Malfoy stood glaring and smirking at Dumbledore, a feat only he could manage.  
  
Feeling someone watching him from behind, he turned and saw the head in the fire looking at him with a pained expression. "You might want to hurry Dumbledore though I'm sure the Wizengamot wouldn't mind you waiting a while. I have to go, my knees are killing me," he said smiling reassuring at a shell shocked Hermione.  
  
"Don't worry dear; ignore what your boyfriend said. Bill Weasley will most probably be cleared of all charges," he said. Hermione looked at him and suddenly was engulfed with a feeling of guilt.  
  
"You're lying," she said blatantly her voice void of emotion. The man looked surprised but then passed it off as his expression giving him away. The evidence against Bill Weasley was extremely incriminating and the only reason they had not thrown him into Azkaban without a trial was because it was required.  
  
"Well...um...er...I have to go," he said uncomfortably before disappearing.  
  
"Professor, Please. Please tell me it's not true," Hermione pleaded weakly sinking to her knees. She had thought of the Weasleys as her other family, accepted the Weasley brothers as her own and Ginny as her sister. How could Bill have performed the ultimate betrayal not only to her but to Dumbledore, Harry, his own parents and god knew how many other people.  
  
"Now, now Miss Granger, It isn't set in stone yet. We can help, but we must leave now," Dumbledore said trying to easy his student's distress.  
  
Malfoy looked at her and wondered how she could feel so much for someone not even in her kin. He knew that he could care less if his father was convicted a death-eater. She watched as her sobs ceased and realized that even though she had stopped crying she was shuddering slightly, as though she was controlling her sobs.  
  
Hermione looked up and saw Malfoy looking down at her and she felt a rage she never knew build up in her. She took her frustration and betrayal out on him by screaming, "You're happy now aren't you? You got what you wanted. You've ruined my life. I hate you," She said the last part in a hiss so that only Malfoy could here her.  
  
It hit home hard, it wasn't as though he wanted her to like him. In fact he found her just a disgusting mudblood but the fact that someone could hate him with such intensity caused him to feel guilty.  
  
"Look Granger...I'm..." he said before he caught himself. Malfoy's never apologized especially to mudbloods. "I'm afraid you can't blame your pathetic excuse of a life going wrong on me," he said completing his sentence.  
  
A throat cleared behind them and Hermione realized that Dumbledore was behind them. "We best leave now," he said before picking up a pen with the alphabet D engraved intricately on it from his desk. "Portus," he muttered and it glowed a faint blue. "Well everyone please touch the portkey," he announced once the pen lost its momentary glow.  
  
All of them leaned in and touched it with a finger and Hermione felt the now familiar feeling of a hook tugging at her navel. She bumped into Malfoy as they were being transported and even then he managed to give her a death glare. They landed and Hermione unfortunately landed unceremoniously on her back side.  
  
Malfoy sniggered as she got up and dusted herself off. She had more important things to do than to get bothered by Malfoy. She followed Dumbledore to the information desk and saw and an extremely elegant and well dressed couple there. They were asking the witch at the counter about something or another. As she was behind them Hermione only caught sight of their backs.  
  
But even from that she could tell by their posture and stance that they were extremely regal. The thing that had caught her attention was that the man spoke with a French accent and lapsed into French once in a while. The woman on the other hand had a mix of both American and French accents. She spoke with American slang and had to keep reminding her counter part to speak in French.  
  
They were going on about a lion and a school and suddenly it struck Hermione that they might be talking about Hogwarts and Gryffindor but she had to deal with more pressing matters thus couldn't dawdle to help them.  
  
"Let's go. I have everything sorted out," Dumbledore said and she turned to follow, completely forgetting about the couple, her mind filled with thoughts of the trial. It was about two in the afternoon by then and they had to be there by 2.10 which was when the trial started.  
  
Quickly she hurried behind Dumbledore as the made their way to the dungeons that Hermione knew was only used for interrogating possible death- eaters.  
  
They stepped into the elevator and since it was packed with people, Malfoy was pushed against here without any place to move. He smirked at her and sneered, "It's your dream come true isn't it?"  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes and tried to move, only to be squashed against him more tightly. "Ugh," was exactly what was going through both their minds. Finally the crowd thinned out and there was more breathing space.  
  
They were at the dungeon now and only the three of them were left in the elevator. They got off and walked to the court room. There Hermione saw a flash of blonde hair. It reminded her of Melissa and she felt her heart break for her newfound but close friend.  
  
"Miss Granger, I have a favor to ask of you. You have to promise me that you don't breathe a word of this, even to Harry and Ron. Yes Ron too. It might be his brother but their parents will tell him when they feel the time is right. And oh yes, whatever the outcome of the trial, stand strong and don't lose control of your powers," Dumbledore told her, pulling her to a corner.  
  
Hermione nodded, wordlessly as she knew that she would start crying if she opened her mouth. She walked over to a seat and sat on it, her eyes were glazed as she was in denial, and she couldn't believe that Bill had committed such a crime. It couldn't it? She felt doubt clouding over her.  
  
"Mione' is that you?" a familiar voice asked. Hermione looked up to see Melissa. Her face was stained with dried tears and her eyes held a pain that Hermione couldn't comprehend. "Mel," she said in a dull voice before standing abruptly and hugging her with all her life's worth.  
  
Mel started shuddering as she felt the sobs coming on. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she thought about the love of her life; the man of her dreams and the fact that she would never see him again after that very. Everyone she loved left her. Her mother had died, her father...well, he was just there but not for her and now Bill. Hermione rubbed her back gently and whispered that it would be alright.  
  
Melissa knew it never would be. Too much had happened and she didn't know if she could live with herself once Bill was gone. She had...she had loved him. Mel pulled away from Hermione and thanked her. Hermione just nodded and Mel got a distinct feeling that Hermione too was holding back tears.  
  
Malfoy looked across the room at them. He didn't recognize the blonde girl and was positive that he had never seen her before, but there was something familiar about her.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, have you seen Miss Granger?" Dumbledore said after he finished his conversation with the Minister of Magic. Following Malfoy's gaze, his eyes rested upon Hermione and...  
  
Dumbledore was taken aback. Shocked to say the least. She had left him, telling him she didn't need his false love, yes that was what she had called it. She had claimed that he had no time for her but time for everyone else. The last thing she told him before slamming the door in his face was, "I never want to see you again!"  
  
Memories that he kept locked at the back of his head threatened to resurface as he looked at her. Tear's prickled at his eyes as he felt the pain of someone who lost another dear to him, one of the only two people he truly loved. His heart broke when he saw her in tears, and he felt like going there and comforting her, taking her and keeping her safe from reality.  
  
He felt the way any father would feel when seeing his daughter in tears, but he couldn't do anything but watch. He had lost the right to the day she walked out of the house telling him he knew nothing about fatherhood.  
  
Mel felt someone's eyes on her. She looked up only to lock eyes with another pair. A pair somewhat similar to her's. Electric blue and probing. No one noticed but the father and daughter pair. Hermione was lost in her own thoughts and Draco was being pulled into a conversation with Fudge.  
  
A lone tear slipped down Dumbledore's cheek and Mel broke the connection. How dare he? How dare he show his weakness when she had just about lot everything in her life. Her hate for him intensified and the only thing preventing her from leaving the room was that there was a huge possibility that today was the last glimpse she would get of Bill.  
  
She hated her father. It wasn't anything he had done; in fact it was what he had not done. Ever since young she had to live in the shadow of his school of his students. It seemed that he spent every moment of his life with them but for his own daughter he never had a spare minute.  
  
His family seemed to be second best and Melissa had always wondered if he hated her because he blamed her for his wife's, her mother's death. Her mother had died at childbirth and she never did find out if that was the reason why he shunned her. Closing her eyes and silently sending out a prayer to the gods she waited and finally heard the hammer knock on the table sharply and the Minister of Magic's sharp voice piercing through the now silent hall dungeon.

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AN:Please read and review. Thanks.


	9. Chapter 8

AN:So sorry for the lapse in updates. I feel so bad. I hate it when authors don't update consistantly and now I've become one of them. Ha. Ok now, this story will not be what you guys expect. It isn't the usual Hermione changes and Draco falls for her kinda plot and believe me when I say that it will go on for some atime. Hahaha...so all ye faithful reviewers, please do review. Tell me what you think should happen. I appreciate all feed back. Yepyep. Ok sorry for that extremely long author note, I'm long winded by nature so bear with me k. Ok enjoy man. (Well at least I hope you do)

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"Court is now in session. All rise," said one of the aurors that doubled up as the Minister of Magic's personal bodyguard. The minister stepped up onto the raised platform followed by Dumbledore and another man that Hermione didn't know. Hermione looked up to see Mel staring after Dumbledore and was instantly engulfed with a feeling of such intense hate that it scared her.  
  
The feeling had nothing to do with what she was experiencing at that moment and so she was momentarily flabbergasted before it hit her. She was experiencing the feelings of the others. Oh god. That was exactly what she needed at that moment as though her feelings weren't enough to deal with.  
  
The minister told all of them to be seated and soon the courtroom was filled with many whispers as everyone settled into their seat. Soon the whispers ceased and Fudge continued, "Bring in the suspect," he announced. His face was sullen and he looked more tired than he had in all his years as Minister of Magic.  
  
He had finally come to terms with the fact that Voldemort was back and he was faced with so much stress as the fear of the wizarding world heightened visibly every day. The conviction of a Weasley was the last straw. They were most known for loving muggles and Fudge knew that if news leaked out that Bill Weasley, the oldest of the Weasley children was a death eater there was going to be hell to pay for.  
  
The already over precocious wizarding world would cross the line and delve into a state of paranoia. The doors at the back of the dungeon swung open abruptly, their hinges creaking and two Black cloaked figures, with Bill in between them glided in. A sudden cold descended on the people in the courtroom.  
  
It wasn't something physical that could be cured by a warm drink. The cold seemed to seep through their very skin and towards their heart turning blood to ice as it made its way there. Once at the heart it seemed to engulf it with its darkness, squeezing it. Making them revisit the horrible memories that they kept hidden at the back of their minds.  
  
Hermione shut her eyes as she was forced to relieve the day she learnt of her true parentage. She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to force the image to disappear. Beside her she heard Melissa whimper. Forcing her eyes open she looked at Melissa. She was quivering in her seat, he eyes tightly shut and mumbling under her breath.  
  
Unfortunately Hermione could not catch what she was saying. "Bill!" a piercing voice rung through the room. Mrs. Weasley was being restrained by her husband as she tried to get to Bill.  
  
Mel crumpled into the seat beside Hermione weakly and it seemed as though she had given up. Hermione assumed that it was because she thought that Bill stood no chance. Hermione unfortunately didn't know Mel's past and did not know that Mel was now crying for a different reason.  
Her tears splashed against the dark cherry wood seat. She hated herself for crying, showing her weakness and she just when she had happily settled into the routine of her new found life. She looked up and saw Bill. Mel's heart ached when he saw how weak he looked. His face pale eyes lifeless.  
  
She had loved him, loved his family and...he had loved her. Now all of it was gone, disappeared like a wisp of air, leaving nothing behind but a gaping hole in her aching heart.  
  
The Dementors released Bill from their grip once he had been seated in the chair which was on the podium at the front of the room. They glided out of the room and there was a collective sigh of relief. The chains on the chair leapt to life and bound Bill to the chair so tightly that he gasped.  
  
His eyes, lifeless all along showed an emotion, a single emotion that caused Mel to go into hysterics. He looked at her as she was overwhelmed by the amount of love his eyes held. She wept for the loss of her dreams of a better life.  
  
Hermione sighed and rubbed her friend on the back trying her best to soothe her friend. Her eyes roved around the room and she caught sight of Malfoy leaning against the wall, smirking at Bill. She hated him, why did he have to be so damn smug and not to mention arrogant.  
  
"Please read out the charges," Fudge's voice rung throughout the silent room.  
  
"Bill Weasley has been charged as working for he-who-must-not-be- named and was caught performing the killing curse on a muggle-born Daniel Bathford by Miss Candice Thompson, an auror," said the scribe. Bill Weasley looked faint in his seat.  
  
"Did he really do it; did he betray all who loved and trusted him?" was exactly what was running through both Hermione and Melissa's mind. Mrs. Weasley who was being pacified by her husband was led to where they duo were seated.  
  
Her eyes, red rimmed and only showing sorrow. There were no tears; tears wouldn't show the amount of pain and loss that she was feeling at that moment. Tears held no meaning as she saw her oldest son being chained to the chair in the front of the room. She would be strong for him. Nothing was set in stone yet. There was still hope. The tiny amount of hope that she clung onto as though it was her life line.  
  
Hermione sighed and tried to console Mel when she felt someone slide in beside her. Looking to her side she saw Mrs. Weasley and from the look that the woman had in her eyes, Hermione realized that her sorrow was nothing but shallow and she saw the pain reflected Mrs. Weasley's eyes. The pain she saw made hatred course through her.  
  
Hatred for Bill. She hated him for causing so many problems for his family, yet one question remained in her mind. "Was he innocent." Mrs. Weasley gave her a shaky smile and turned to watch the court in progress. The court that would either be her son's savior or convict him to a life of living hell.  
  
"Bill Weasley, do you admit to performing the killing curse in Daniel Edward Bathford?" Fudge's voice asked the most important question.  
  
"But sir you have to understand...he was," Bill stuttered as though he just found his voice.  
  
"I care not whether or not I understand, though I doubt I would understand why anyone would perform the killing curse on a innocent man. Did you or did you not perform the killing curse?" Fudge cut in his voice holding no compassion and was rid of emotion.  
  
Bill hung his head sadly and muttered a soft, "Yes." Hermione closed her eyes trying to keep the tears from falling. He wasn't innocent. He had killed someone.  
  
Mel's face shot up. "He really did it Hermione and all along I thought...I thought he was innocent. That he was framed. That bastard. I hate him," Mel said. Her eyes burning with anger.  
  
Mrs. Weasley muttered a almost inaudible, "No." Her hopes for his redemption were diminished. Was he really her son, the man that she had raised since young to believe that muggles deserved to be respected.  
  
Hermione turned to look at Mr. Weasley and saw that he too was looking at the ground and shaking his head dejectedly. He got off one of the chairs at the last row, where he was seated and softly made his way to the door and walked to the double doors at the back and silently opened them.  
  
He slipped through them making no noise. Hermione stared after him. Tears prickled at the back of her eyes when she saw that he had left, practically disowned his son.  
  
"Aha...Azkaban it is then, how long should the sentence b..." fudge said but before he could finish his sentence, Dumbledore interjected, "Please do explain the circumstances."  
  
"Wait before that, Vertiaserum please," Fudge said shooting Dumbledore a glare when he wasn't looking. Fudge still had not gotten over the fact that Dumbledore had been right about Voldemort and the fact that the wizard world had requested for Dumbledore to be elected as Minister of Magic.  
  
The only reason he remained Minister was the fact that Dumbledore had declined the position and Fudge was more than threatened by the overwhelming support that Dumbledore had.  
  
A ministry official rushed through a door and came back carrying a tray with a bottle of clear liquid nestled in between crushed velvet. "The strongest I could find Minister," he said. Walking towards Bill the ministry official brutally pulled Bill's head backwards and let a few drops of the potion fall into his open mouth.  
  
"Swallow!" He ordered coldly. Bill swallowed feeling the burning sensation as the potion slid down his throat. It reached his stomach and it felt as though his insides were burning slowly, painfully turning into ash.  
  
Mel took in air sharply when she saw the pained look on Bill's face. She wished everything had been normal. Just the way it had been a week earlier, before her whole life fell apart.  
  
"Explain the reasons why you killed Daniel Edward Bathford," Dumbledore asked. For once Hermione understood why he was the only one that Voldemort daren't cross even at his height of power.  
  
His face was set and he seemed to radiate power and his stance demanded respect.  
  
"I was under the imperious curse. Hugh Baron cast it on me. He said that it would be best that the world learned that the Weasleys weren't all saints," Bill said in a monotone.  
  
Hermione gasped. How could she have not seen it? Bill had been framed. He was innocent. Mel too was sitting upright with a shocked expression on his face.  
  
"He's innocent. Lord thank you," Mrs. Weasley said her face letting on to the amount of relief she felt.  
  
"Come now Dumbledore, you don't believe this do you. Hugh Baron obviously is held with much respect and is a valued member of the Ministry. He would never do this," Fudge said snorting. "Obviously there is something wrong with the Vertiaserum." he added derisively.  
  
Hermione was appalled at Fudge's ability to discredit facts that were right in front of him. How could Fudge be so bias, so smug about sentencing an innocent man? This wasn't one of his ego problems. This was the life of an innocent man, an innocent man facing Azkaban.  
  
The little hope that she saw burning in Mel's eyes was distinguished. "How can...is that possible?" Mel said losing the ability to form coherent sentences. Mrs. Weasley too was shocked. Dumbledore turned around and said something to Fudge quietly.  
  
The man on the other side of Fudge nodded as well but Hermione was too far away to catch what he said.  
  
"We will have to bring Lucius Malfoy in for questioning. Therefore we will have to push the hearing to the next week. Court is adjourned till then. All present here is expected to be tight lipped about this case." The minister concluded.  
  
Everyone stood up as Dumbledore, the minister and the other official swept past. Once they had left the room, the crowd started to disperse. Mrs. Weasley, Melissa and Hermione rushed to Bill's side.  
  
"You have an hour and half with him before the Dementors come. Usually it's only ten minutes but under Dumbledore's request..." the hassled looking scribe said trailing off as he walked to retrieve the bottle of veritaserum.  
  
The chains that bound Bill to the chair let him free and he stood up. Hermione took in his overall appearance. His skin was pasty and pale. His eyes which usually twinkled held no emotion and he had visibly lost weight.  
  
His robes that were usually stretched over his muscles hung limply. He no longer held himself respectably. "Mom," he said his voice hoarse. Mrs. Weasley pulled him into a hug and finally she wept. The tears that she forced herself to contain came rushing out. Tears she spilled for the near loss of her son. Tears that she would always remember. She cried softly into Bill's shoulder, when she felt someone pulling her off him.  
  
"Bill how could Fudge be so ignorant?" Mrs. Weasley said in a shaky voice. She hated the minister and felt very much like slapping him. Her son was innocent he had been proven that under the influence of Veritaserum and yet Fudge chose to deny things that lay right in front of his very eyes.  
  
"Mom, look at me. I'll be fine. Don't worry. Look after the rest and we'll all hope for the best," he said consoling her. Mrs. Weasley nodded numbly. She kissed him on the cheek and moved away, knowing that he would want to speak to Melissa.  
  
"Mione'," he said smiling wanly at her. His smile didn't reach his eyes. "Keep studying babe. You'll make it big one day. Tell Ron that I didn't mean for this to happen and also tell him that I hope he can forgive me," Bill said. All he said held a not of finality to it.  
  
Hermione knew it wasn't in her place to hog Bill's time with them and reassured him that he would definitely get out. At this he just smiled, before muttering a soft, "Always the naïve one."  
  
Hermione had to try her very best to stop herself from crying.  
  
Bill turned to Melissa. She had a very sad look on her face.  
  
"Can I get a hug," he asked trying his best to smile and he held out his arms.  
  
"No...you can't," Mel said amidst her sobs.  
  
"Please?" he asked his eyes brimming with tears yet a strange smile was on his lips.  
  
Mel rushed into his arms crying. He enveloped her in his arms and rested his chin on her head. "Don't cry babe," he said trying to sound reassuring. "At least we'll have the memories," he added, his voice cracking when he said that.  
  
He couldn't imagine life without Melissa. He felt the lump in his pocket. It was the ring. He had been about to propose. His throat felt tight. She looked up at him and whispered, "Why have you given up Bill. There is hope yet."  
  
"You think they'll take my words over Lucius Malfoy's?" he asked derisively.  
  
Mel hit him on his chest weakly. "Have you given up on us then?" Mel said burying her head in his chest.  
  
Bill was taken aback by that statement and he decided that he may as well do what he was planning to before he was arrested and taken away than add it to the list of things he could have done. He put his hands at either sides of Mel's side and pushed her away from him softly. Unfortunately she didn't budge.  
  
The harder he pushed the harder she clung onto him. Mrs. Weasley who was standing at the sidelines wiped away her tears with the back of her palms. Hermione who was standing beside Mrs. Weasley was about to leave when Bill told her to stop.  
  
"Mel let go of me love," he whispered to her. She finally let go after hearing the tone of his voice. The whole reason she was so afraid to let go was because she felt that her Bill would be taken away from her if she let go. Her love would be ripped away from her in a matter of minutes.  
  
He knelt in front of her and Mel gasped when he reached into his pocket only to produce a velvet box.  
  
"Melissa Jean Manson, I love you with all my heart and have shared all my secrets with you. I cannot imagine life without you but now there is a large possibility that I may have to. I may not have a chance to marry you but I want to with all my heart. Will you marry me love?" he asked, his eyes misting over.  
  
Tears were pouring down the cheeks of everyone at that moment. It was such a bittersweet moment.  
  
"Yes Bill. I love you with all my heart and I accept," Mel sputtered and for once that day her tears were ones of joy.  
  
"My baby, all grown up," Mrs. Weasley sighed. Hermione rushed up to congratulate both of them and kissed Mel on the cheek telling her that she was extremely happy for her.  
  
Bill smiled a heartfelt smile and hugged his fiancé. He knew he might not be able to marry her and lead a life with her but at the same time was happy that she had accepted if that made any sense. He looked down and kissed her softly.  
  
A chaste kiss, yet it made his heart ache when he thought about how much he loved her. Mrs. Weasley was blustering around and finally they snapped out of their reverie. Mrs. Weasley was pulled into a group hug and all three of them laughed. A laugh that held a tinge of bitterness.  
  
Hermione stood at the side lines. She was overwhelmed with a feeling of envy as she knew that she would experience having a loving family again. She would never experience a mother's love and a doting father ever again.  
  
At that she thought about Mr. Weasley. She wondered if he would ever forgive his son. He had walked out half way through the trial. "Why," she wondered, "Why."  
  
Mrs. Weasley hugged her son and new-found daughter-in-law tightly and fiercely. She wondered how she would be able to deal with it if Bill was sentenced to Azkaban. She now had Melissa, a reminder of Bill, the person Bill promised to love for life. She imagined how the poor girl would feel, having Bill being pulled away from her.  
  
"Mione'..." Bill said his voice cracking, motioning her to join in on the group hug. Tentatively she walked to them and put her arms around them gingerly. It was the first time she had a hug from anyone one in a long time and it felt weird, as though she had forgotten how to.  
  
"Your time is up. Bill Weasley come with me," an official voice said from behind them breaking the emotional moment.  
  
Bill hearts plunged. He wondered how he could be so selfish, how he could have proposed to her. But his heart still swelled when he thought about her accepting. It would be his one most happy moment in his life. He wished he had just died at that point, which would mean he would have died the happiest man alive.  
  
He would not cry anymore. He would stay strong for his family. Hermione let go and backed away from them. "Bill Weasley..." the voice said uncertainly and Mrs. Weasley moved away from him her heart breaking again. "Take care son. We'll see you soon," she assured him in a tone that hinted that she was convincing herself more than him.

Bill wrapped his arms around Melissa tightly, fearing that she would disappear if he let go. She clung onto him tighter knowing that there was no choice but to let go but at the same time she didn't want to.

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AN:I dunno why I feel the need to bore all you wonderful people who read my story with my insights but here goes. I love these quotes:

-The world is but a stage.

-God is a DJ, Life is a dance floor, Love is rythm, you are the music

Ok then that's all unless you want more ( '.' )

Buaiz


	10. Chapter 9

AN:Your favourite writer is back...okay well enough of the ego thing. I hope ya'll like the chapters...okay here's the thing, I'm kinda in a loss for ideas. Major witer's block. Soo...yeah review, e-mail me and give me your suggestions for the story. I am open to everything. Even slash but I most probably won't write it. Oh yeah does any of you watch the apperentice? I love that show. It is so cool. Just like survivor but with business suits. Kkz enough of my crap. Read the chapter and drop me a review.

* * *

"We would much rather we didn't need to drag you out by force," a bored voice called. Bill clasped Mel and tried to pull her away for him but she didn't seem to one to let go. "No...no. I can't let you go," she mumbled into his chest. Tears slipping from her eyes were being absorbed by Bill's robe.  
  
Hermione wished she could do something; anything to help her friend. Her friend who was teetering at the edge and the last thing she wanted was for her to lose Mel. Mel was a newfound addition to the Weasley family but even though Hermione had grown close to her, close enough to care.  
  
Mrs. Weasley slipped her arm around Hermione's shoulders and smiled sadly as she took in the sight that was in front of her. Her child was grown up. Engaged to be more precise. God this was something she would never forget; not in her life.  
  
Someone grabbed hold of Bill and wrenched him away from Melissa. "Nooo!" a scream sounded echoing around the cold dungeons. Mel sunk to her knees and pounded the ground with her fists as she watched Bill being led away. Her love, her life. It was all gone, in a matter of minutes.  
  
"I love him..." she whispered as everyone turned to watch Bill being 'escorted' away by the Dementors. Suddenly a loud thump was heard behind them.  
  
Hermione swiveled around and saw that Mel had collapsed on the ground. "MEL!" she shrieked. Her feet seemed to have given up taking orders from the brain. She stood rooted to the spot and by the time others had reacted to what they were seeing, Mrs. Weasley had rushed to Mel's side and was taking her pulse.  
  
She gave a sigh of relief when she saw that Mel was still alive. Finally regaining her senses Hermione rushed to Mrs. Weasley. Whipping out her wand, Hermione muttered, "Locomotor Melissa."  
  
Unfortunately Melissa didn't move. Hermione looked quizzically at Mrs. Weasley.  
  
"Magic doesn't work here; it's a precautionary measure to prevent the prisoners from apperating away," A voice said from the shadows of the room. Everyone's heads swiveled in that direction. Malfoy emerged from the shadows.  
  
"Oh god, the elevator is so far away and we're the only one's left," Hermione said when she realized that only herself, Mrs. Weasley and Malfoy remained in the room. Malfoy rolled his eyes and walked to her. He wasn't known for doing good deeds but he decided that Dumbledore would definitely expel him if he didn't help. He slipped his arms around and slung her limp body over his shoulder.  
  
Hermione was taken aback. Malfoy was helping someone and not even expecting anything back. He carried her with such ease though and even though Mel wasn't very heavy, she was tall and would most probably weighed at least fifty-five kilograms.  
  
It seemed almost effortless the way he could walk with an extra human attached to him. She followed him mutely at a loss of words. She looked at Mel whose head was lolling dangerously as Malfoy didn't seem to care much about her safety.  
  
Mrs. Weasley walked beside Hermione and she too was looking worriedly at Melissa. They finally reached the elevator and they stepped in earning curious glances from of the remaining wizards.  
  
Once they were in the main office, Hermione took it upon herself to levitate Melissa. Draco felt the weight lift of him and saw that Mel now was levitating towards the information counter, following an extremely flustered Hermione.  
  
He had been watching her the whole time during the court case. She was such an emotional head-case to him, but she was the only girl that didn't seem to annoy him when she cried. Usually he got extremely annoyed at girls who broke down for the simplest thing like him forgetting to call them after their late night rendezvous.  
  
She seemed more human than the know-it-all-mudblood that she seemed to be for the past few years that he had known her. He wondered how she was coping with her life falling apart right in front of her eyes.  
  
First her parents, then Bill Weasley being near convicted. Now that Blonde girl fainting. He wondered why she intrigued him so much. That mudblood seemed to have an effect on him that no other girl had. Figuring it was just his deep hatred for her he dismissed it.  
  
Hermione came running up to Mrs. Weasley who was standing beside Malfoy at that time. As she was concentrating on keeping Mel's body afloat all along, she could not stop in time and collided into Malfoy. This time he had seen her coming and braced himself, thus he didn't fall over and Hermione fell backwards.  
  
Sneering at her, he offered her his hand, knowing that there were many ministry officials around and if word got out that a Malfoy was not gracious and charming in public; his father would skin Draco alive.  
  
Hermione was yet again dumbfounded at Malfoy's uncharacteristic behavior while Mrs. Weasley looked at him skeptically.  
  
She felt that he had earned himself a second chance by coming to their aid but only grudgingly. Hermione pushed herself up on herself, leaving his hand dangling in the air uselessly. He glared at her and let it drop. He sometimes hated her for being such an insufferable self righteous know-it-all.  
  
"Enervate," a voice said behind them and all of them turned to see Dumbledore pointing his wand at Melissa. Melissa's eyes fluttered open and came to meet the man he despised the most.  
  
Dumbledore had seen Hermione rush towards Draco and Mrs. Weasley with his daughter on the tow. Hermione had bumped into Draco and caused Mel to float to the ground. He of course had rushed to her and seeing that she was unconscious tried to revive her.  
  
"You," Mel said coldly, causing the rest of them to look at her curiously. They were wondering why she seemed to be so cold towards Dumbledore who according to her she didn't know. They passed it off as her feeling upset about Bill's trial and watched the scene in front of them unfold.  
  
Dumbledore's face was rid of his usual smile as he eyed Melissa with sadly. Mel's expression was hardened and she stared at him emotionlessly. Sighing Dumbledore turned to Malfoy and Hermione.  
  
"We will be leaving now; And Hermione please remember what I asked of you," Dumbledore said in a clipped tone, masking his hurt. His own daughter was so indifferent to him.  
  
"Wait. Professor Dumbledore, I would like you to my friend and Bill's fiancée Melissa um...What is your last name Melissa? You never told me," Hermione said embarrassed at not being able to introduce Mel to Dumbledore properly.  
  
"Melissa um..." Mel lied quickly and caught the fleeting look of pain that crossed her father's face. Of course any father would be sad if his own daughter did not admit to her heritage. As much as she hated him, she didn't want to lie to her future mother-in-law and her friend.  
  
"Melissa Dumbledore," she mumbled.  
  
A smile appeared on Dumbledore's face but it quickly disappeared when he saw that his daughter was not proud of admitting that she was a descendant of the Dumbledore lineage. She seemed to be admitting to it out of obligation more than anything.  
  
"Melissa What?" Mrs. Weasley shrieked. She was in shock. Her son who was now under custody in Azkaban had been dating a Dumbledore.  
  
Hermione was staring at Melissa opening and closing her mouth. Finally everything fell into place and Hermione wondered how she had been so oblivious. Melissa obviously had inherited the Dumbledore eyes and the pen with the marking. It had the Dumbledore crest on it.  
  
"How could she lie to Bill? And everyone else. Why was she ashamed of being a Dumbledore? Why?" A million questions were passing through her head. Her whole world was upside down. So many things were going wrong.  
  
"I'm sorry, I have to go now. Er...Mrs. Weasley, I'll come by tomorrow to pick up my things." Mel said nervously. She was biting back the sob threatening to burst out of her throat and she was constantly blinking to keep the tears brimming in her eyes from spilling.  
  
She spun on her heels and stalked off, holding her head high. As she turned the corner she let her tears flow for the 'could-have-beens' that existed in her life. She would never know a father's love, never experience a 'normal' family life, might never know how it would be to be married and the list went on.  
  
As she walked consumed by self pity, Dumbledore, Mrs. Weasley, Hermione and Malfoy stared after her. They were still in shock at the revelation and all for a simple introduction.  
  
Hermione was mortified. Even though no one was staring at them as the exchange had gone off rather quietly but at the same time she realized that is she had not asked Mel what her surname was she would most probably never have found out about Mel's hidden heritage.  
  
"Well we best get a move on," Dumbledore said calmly. The two students turned to Dumbledore and looked at him curiously. He smiled but yet it seemed neither to represent joy nor happiness. It only showed a portion of the pain he was experiencing.  
  
"Portus," Dumbledore mumbled pointing at a quill he had in his hand. It emanated a light blue light again and once the light faded, Hermione bid Mrs. Weasley goodbye and gave her a hug.  
  
Mrs. Weasley smiled lightly at them and apperated away. Hermione joined Malfoy and Dumbledore in a huddle and touched the quill with her finger. Suddenly there was a jolt in her stomach, somewhere near her navel and she felt herself flying. Weightless, defying time and space.  
  
Wait a minute. This is different from using a portkey she thought. When using a portkey she usually was in full form but this time, she was different. It was as though she was rays of light. Her molecular structure had been broken allowing her to defy time and space in yet another way.  
  
She had never learned about it and to Hermione that terrified her. To her something she didn't know was immediately classified as dangerous. That was one of the reasons she was always reading. She had so many things to learn and so little time. When she was young and her parents were busy with work, she had immersed herself in books. It had been somewhat a replacement of her parents. They taught her things, spoke to her and never abandoned her.  
  
When she learned that she was a witch and heard about the discrimination against muggle-born witches, she pushed herself harder. She wanted to prove them wrong. Prove that she didn't have to be a pure-blood to beat the rest.  
  
She would top the lot of them. Now she had found out that she was a pure-blood and once every one realized, her efforts would be dismissed. Saying that she was pure-blood and that was the reason she did well.  
  
She felt the bonds that held her body together break slowly and she was weightless. She was no more one being but millions and millions. She moved, carried by the wind. The breeze caressing her, treating her as one of its own. She was going against all theories of physics. Not to mention chemistry and biology.  
  
It was something she had learned in muggle studies. Muggles came up with theories on light and it was extremely interesting.  
  
She was speeding but yet she could see her surroundings. She was passing over muggle London. Suddenly she felt terrified. She didn't know how to get to Hogwarts.  
  
"Think Hermione think," she near screamed at herself. She thought about stopping somewhere then flooing. It seemed a good enough idea. But wait this was muggle London. The floo network wasn't connected to muggle London.  
  
She could go back to the ministry of magic. Turning around, she realized that she didn't know where she was anymore. She was flying over an ocean. "Shit. What if I fall? What if I'm too tired to do this anymore? Whatever this is?" she thought as the ocean breeze pushed her off course.  
  
It seemed as though she knew where she was going but at the same time she didn't. If that made any sense. Deciding that she would just trust the part in her that knew where she was going to lead her, she kicked back and enjoyed the scenery.  
  
She took in the calm waters and suddenly and saw a dolphin break free from it. It arched over the water and then plunged back into the murky depths. Ahead she saw Whales. A baby one with a much larger one. Most probably it's mother.  
  
Her breath caught in her throat as she marveled at nature's beauty. It was so calm so placid and at the same time so full of life. "Life is full of contradictions Mione. Full of contradictions," she mused aloud.  
  
Finally she passed over the ocean and was at a strange land. It seemed as though she was lost. Oh well, throwing caution in the wind, she willed herself to move faster in the direction she was headed in.  
  
She passed over a forest and as she gained speed, she saw a castle looming ahead. It was Hogwarts. When realization hit her she gave a sigh of relief. As she neared it she saw a shimmering orb around it. It was the anti-apperation magical field. "Oh well, I could stop here and walk there." She though to herself.  
  
"But that would take to long. They must be worried about you," another voice in her head countered. "Oh, I may as well try to break past that barrier." she added.  
  
She neared the barrier and it seemed to be made up of just shimmering air. There were tiny holes in the force field but it seemed almost impossible to cross it. "O man, what am I going to do?" she wondered aloud.  
  
She had read in 'Hogwarts a History' that it was impossible to apperated into the school. But what she was doing was not apperating. She knew that for sure as form her studies of apperating, she had not read anything about people's molecular structure breaking apart.  
  
Slowly she willed herself to break into smaller parts, knowing that if she stopped and went to Hogsmeade and then walked to Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore would have the CIA searching for her.  
  
Slowly and laboriously she forced herself through the holes. It seemed to take eons and she was close to giving up when she got through it. She still wasn't in her bodily form yet and realized that she was at the quidditch field. She zoomed to the huge entrance and in.  
  
Passing the great hall she zoomed towards the gargoyle behind which Professor Dumbledore's office resided. "Oh dear, I don't think I can talk in this form. Maybe I can just pass through the wall. Well, here goes nothing," she told herself.  
  
She rushed towards the wall and bounced off. Though she felt no pain, she felt an urge to try harder. Yet again she forced herself against the wall. She felt herself becoming one with the cement. She felt the magic the walls of the school held become part of her.  
  
Slowly she passed through the wall and saw the stairs. Instead of using them, she just shot upwards and through the open door of Professor Dumbledore's office. There Dumbledore was pacing and Malfoy was just leaning against the wall, his face void of expression.  
  
Deciding to make a grand appearance, she made her way to Dumbledore's chair. She noticed that the movements made by Dumbledore were very slow. In the time it took her to get to the seat from the door, he hadn't even taken a complete step. That could only mean that she was moving, very fast, almost at the speed of light.  
  
Dismissing her thoughts, she concentrated on her molecules coming together to form herself again. She felt the bonds becoming stronger and her body forming. Slowly. It didn't pain her but she was bored to death at the slow process. She looked down at her hands and saw that they were fully formed.  
  
"Professor. Professor Dumbledore," she said tentatively, announcing her presence. Dumbledore turned to her and was startled. The first thing on his mind was how she had achieved the impossible feat of apperating into Hogwarts.  
  
"How did you...Did you apperated," he asked stringing two sentences together. Malfoy too was shocked. He had read that Hogwarts was impenetrable. That caused him to wonder how she had gotten in. He for one could apperate.  
  
He had taken the test the very day it was legal for him to be able to apperate. He found flooing and portkeys for amateurs and he prided himself a professional. But the mudblood, how had she managed to get into Hogwarts?  
  
"Umm...I don't know how I got here. My molecular structure just broke apart and yeah..." Hermione trailed off as she tried to explain the experience that she had just had. It was quite hard as she couldn't find words to describe the exhilaration, the thrill she had felt when she felt her blood pounding in her ears as she flew.  
  
She closed her eyes momentarily and relived the feeling. Both Dumbledore and Malfoy looked at her queerly. Suddenly Dumbledore was hit with realization.  
  
"You didn't apperate. That was shimmering or something close to that. The question now is how did you manage it?" Dumbledore said, jerking Hermione out of her trance.  
  
"Shimmering..." Hermione muttered to herself, willing herself to remember where she had read about it. She repeated the word aloud a few more times but still nothing came to her, yet she knew that in the back of her mind she knew what it was.  
  
"Shimmering a form of transportation used by an extremely powerful demon type," Malfoy said. Hermione's head shot up when Malfoy muttered those words. Finally all the stored information came rushing to her.  
  
They didn't come into contact with the wizarding world and chose to terrorize the muggle folk. There were bands of witches and wizards who were extremely powerful and the wizard world fearing that they might bring on its destruction kept them in the dark.  
  
These witches and wizards worked either on the good or bad side. They constantly battled each other and they were powerful enough to do magic without the aid of a wand. There were only a rare few of them. None of them knew of her world.  
  
Hermione wondered how she could shimmer and she felt a headache coming on as she felt as though she was experiencing an information overload.  
  
Malfoy realized that Hermione shimmering meant that she was somehow connected to those demons. He knew about shimmering as it had come up in one of the Defense against the dark arts lessons. He had mused on him of all people learning Defense against the dark arts.  
  
He needed no explanation for his amusement. His family name spoke for itself. Smirking he took in the sight of an extremely flustered Granger.  
  
Dumbledore was in deep thought as he wondered how this muggle born witch had acquired such powers. If this got out the Daily Prophet would have a field day. For once in his life he didn't fully understand the situation and didn't have a proper plan.  
  
He wondered if she knew; if she knew about what these newly acquired powers of her's meant.

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AN:Today my tactic to get you guys to review is to guilt you. Do you know how long I spend typing one chapter? Will it take that much effort to just click the button and leave your thoughts. Smilez I'm such a loser. Kkz I'm outie. The next chapter is nearly complete. It'll be up by Wednesday next week


	11. Chapter 10

AN:Lalala...ok Sapphire is in the house. Everyone jiggy it up. Yep it's true, I'm on a sugar high. Ignore me. Read the chapter and drop me a review. I have decided that in a bid to get more reviews this time, I shall set an ultimatum. No chapters until I get twenty more reviews. Yeah yeah I know all about writing for yourself and not for the public but guess what? I get a ego boost when I see them and so what if it morally wrong. I shall do anything for review. Your favorite rabid author signing off. As I said ignore me.

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"Professor Dumbledore, I'm extremely sorry to interrupt but there is a mad couple in the great hall raving about how we kidnapped their child, a lion and god knows what else. I don't really understand as they're speaking half in French and the man's accent affects his English as well," Professor McGonagall interrupted saying the whole thing without taking a breath.  
  
She looked in disarray. There were blotched of bright red on her cheeks making it seem as though she had ran all the way from the great hall to Dumbledore's office. Her glassed were askew and her hair which usually was held up in a tight bun was coming loose and framed her face.  
  
The robes that were always crisp and never had a crease in them seemed to have so many wrinkles and even a tiny tear at her knee. Feeling Hermione's eyes on the tear on her robes she just muttered, "Trick step."  
  
All in all the 'perfect' Professor McGonagall now seemed like what they all were, normal human beings. Of course the word they excluded Malfoy.  
  
"Oh dear me...This is definitely not the time but we must treat our guests well. Send them up Minerva," Dumbledore said absent mindedly. Professor McGonagall raised an eye-brow when she saw the head-girl and boy in Dumbledore's office and the fact that Hermione was seated in Dumbledore's chair surprised her more.  
  
She hoped the pride and joy of Gryffindor was not in trouble. She turned on her heels and made her way to the great hall where the extremely stressed couple had been waiting for more than a few hours.  
  
They had arrived minutes after Dumbledore had departed to the Ministry of Magic, going on and on about their daughter and a lion. Professor McGonagall was usually known for her prim and properness and also for keeping her head in trying situations.  
  
But unfortunately this time, she had been extremely infuriated by the couple that she too had lost her cool and calm demeanor, giving in to frustration.  
  
She rushed to the great hall, shaking her head to clear out her thoughts. Once there she saw the woman's voice was getting higher and higher as she grew more annoyed, depressed or whatever it was that she was feeling.  
  
The man had his arms around her calming her. Slowly whispering to her in a low voice.  
  
Danielle Grenaldi was royally pissed and also desperate. She had had a vision of her daughter using magic. Of course she had thought of Hogwarts right away seeing that Dumbledore always appeared on the news even in France.  
  
Her husband had insisted on going to the Ministry of Magic in England so as to make sure of the facts. There they had met with an annoyingly stupid and unhelpful information counter manager.  
  
It had taken them almost two hours to confirm that their daughter was from Hogwarts. They Ministry officials were unwilling to help until they gave up their identities. She was known well in France and was used to royal treatment. Only after finding who they were did the Ministry officials fawn over them.  
  
They had even dared to suggest giving her and her husband an auror to keep them safe. How dare they mock her and even worse her husband? Did they not know what her powers were? Did they not understand the powers that one possessed when coming from the Halliwal lineage?  
  
After finally confirming the facts, she and her husband had then apperated to Hogsmeade and flew all the way to Hogwarts. There they had been greeted by the McGonagall lady. She obviously knew who they were but chose not to treat them any differently than normal school parents.  
  
This had greatly angered Danielle who was close to blasting her to pieces more than once. It was only with her husband's calming down that she didn't loose her cool.  
  
"Mr. and Mrs. Grenaldi they headmaster has arrived and agreed to see you," Professor McGonagall said crisply.  
  
"Agreed to see us? AGREED to see us!?!" Danielle's husband Cameron near shouted. He was used to being treated like royalty back at home and here this woman dare say that someone had to agree before they could see him.  
  
Professor McGonagall who had her back turned on them just rolled her eyes and started walking in the direction of Dumbledore's office. She hated dealing with pompous people as such and they were getting on her already frayed nerves.  
  
Danielle grabbed hold of her husband's arm and near dragged him after the woman. She saw that Professor McGonagall was waiting for them at a statue of a gargoyle.  
  
Once they neared her, she muttered a soft, "chocolate ice-cream." The gargoyle jumped to a side and they staircase started moving upwards. They followed her in and once they came to the door, Professor McGonagall knocked sharply at them and pushed it open.  
  
There Danielle saw her. She was gorgeous just as she had expected her to be. Her baby had grown up so much and even though they couldn't see her true features, the Halliwal features were there, subtle but there. There the daughter that she had seen in her dreams stood looking at her curiously, not recognizing who she was.  
  
"Oh my baby, my darling daughter" she gushed, running to Hermione and wrapping her in a bear hug. Hermione was shocked.  
  
She wondered who that woman was. Could it be her mother? She looked at Professor Dumbledore with raised eye brows but unfortunately, he wasn't looking at her but at the man that was standing at the door.  
  
Not knowing what to do to the sobbing woman who was clinging onto her like her life depended on it, Hermione hesitantly patted the lady's back for a while but then dropped her hand as there seemed to be no response other than more hysterical sobbing.  
  
"Er...Pardon me but who are you?" Hermione asked tentatively. All three men in the room turned to look at her. Malfoy raised an eyebrow and had to control himself from snorting. He knew who these people were but, he was wondering how Hermione was connected to them.  
  
The Grenaldi family. Known for their mastery of the fine art of wandless magic, there were much like his family, known for their extreme prejudice against muggles and muggle borns.  
  
That of course until the heir to the Grenaldi fortune married a charmed one. Muggle lovers and living in the muggle world the charmed sisters had been saving mortals or innocents as they called them from evil. The charmed circle had been broken when Danielle Halliwal left to marry the Grenaldi, turned evil and became one of the people in Voldemort's inner circle.  
  
They had been close to his family once before the moved to France after Voldemort had been defeated. There were pictures of his father and the man at the door in the manor. His father and Mr. Grenaldi had been friends since their days in Hogwarts. He had never personally known the Grenaldis but knew as much as needed.  
  
He also knew of some information that at that moment devastated him. The reason his father was looking for a bride now was because of the Grenaldi's missing daughter. It was usual for wizards from pure blood families to be engaged from young and guess who he was lucky enough to get engaged to?  
  
Sighing he shook his head slightly wondering what would befall him now.  
  
The woman pulled away from Hermione and whispered, "Don't you...don't you remember me?" Danielle's heart ached. Her own daughter couldn't recognize her. She couldn't see her real features as the spell concealing them had not been lifted. If her eyes had been the same from when she was young, they would still be gray lined with blue.  
  
She tried to look past the outer covering, closing her eyes and concentrating as she wanted to see her real daughter.  
  
"What the..." Hermione thought as the lady's eyes fluttered close and she went into a trance like state. She suddenly felt someone prodding at her. Looking around bewildered, she saw that there was no one except for the lady who had now let go of her.  
  
Danielle felt her powers flow through her veins warming her as they rushed around her. Then a mental image popped into her head. There was a tall brunette with gray, blue rimmed eyes aristocratic features like an upturned nose and small full lips. She was petite just like the girl who stood in front of her and also a little curvier.  
  
"Oh god she looks just like my mother..." Danielle thought remembering her beautiful mother who after her father's death had been the most sought after woman in Britain.  
  
That was one of the reasons why they had altered her look when she was a baby, she looked too much like a Halliwal and being young and unable to defend herself, they had been afraid of the dangers posed by the enemies that she inherited together with her lineage.  
  
Snapping out of her trance, Danielle smiled sadly at her daughter. She was devastated; she had missed the first time her little girl had taken steps, the first word she spoke, her first ride on the broom, her first crush. She had missed so much of her daughter's life that she seemed almost a stranger to her. A stranger that she loved so deeply and unconditionally that it hurt.  
  
Love like this she had never thought she could possess. An unconditional love that only a mother could have for her daughter.  
  
A tear slipped down her face as she realized that the girl in front of her did not know her as her mother, she had most probably referred to another woman as mother her whole life. Another woman lucky enough to bring up the gorgeous girl that stood before her.  
  
Cameron saw his wife crying and his heart too ached. He didn't know this girl in front of him, yet, he loved her. He knew that he would give his life to protect her and save her from the unforgiving reality. He knew that Voldemort would want her in his ranks and he knew that if she did not accept there would be hell to pay for.  
  
He was lost in thought, thinking about what was about to happen, finally the charmed circle would be complete but this time they would be on the side of evil. He looked at Albus Dumbledore, a muggle loving fool. The man was powerful and could have put his powers to good use but he preferred to stay in his school and teach mudbloods and half bloods.  
  
Dumbledore cleared his throat slightly, breaking the silence. "Why, I'm you mother Antoinette," the woman said her voice shaky and cracking as though she was keeping in sobs.  
  
"Er...umm...I'm not Antoinette, I'm Hermione...Hermione Gran...no. I don't know my surname," Hermione said hanging her head. She was trying to keep in the tears. She wanted to believe that they were her parents and that they wanted her back; but life had thought her that hope only brought on disappointment.  
  
Also she was angry. They had left her, not caring one bit about what would happen to her. She had lived seventeen years of her life not knowing who her real parents were and now they came back just expecting her to want to be part of their family  
  
"B...But my vision. Your powers. They only occur in people of my decent." Danielle stuttered. More tears were pricking at the back of her eyes and she was trying to keep them from spilling. Grenaldi's do not show emotion. It was something she had learned when she married Cameron.  
  
She had to undergo hundreds of poise and confidence lessons so that she could be accepted by those of her husband's social circle. She had had to go for a makeover and her whole wardrobe was managed by the reincarnation of Gianni Versace who now designed robes for the wizards once being reincarnated by her and her sisters.  
  
"You...You're a Grenaldi?" Malfoy said to Hermione, in desperation hoping that he was wrong. He had called her a mudblood for the six years that they knew each other and now, he finds out she might be a Grenaldi.  
  
"I think you should leave Mister Malfoy," Dumbledore said, knowing that Hermione would not like Malfoy intruding on this moment. He had only just realized that she was a Grenaldi as she was showing all the powers that Danielle and he sisters possessed and since none of the other sisters had married, he realized that she could only be Danielle's long lost daughter.  
  
Malfoy scowled at him and turned on his heels, walking towards the door. "Mr. Grenaldi, I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," he said smoothly, sticking out his hand to shake Mr. Grenaldi's. Mr. Grenaldi smiled warmly at him and shook his hand.  
  
He remembered his childhood alliance Lucius Malfoy; he used the word alliance as neither he nor Lucius possessed enough caring to care for another as a friend at that time. He smiled. This was the boy he had chosen for his Antoinette, they had been betrothed since they were born.  
  
"Ahh...a Malfoy, It's good to see that my daughter associates with people of good status," he said smiling at Malfoy. He wondered how his daughter would take it but he decided that he would leave that for someone else to worry about as they were not planning on being the one to break the news. At this Hermione nearly snorted but remembered her manners at the nick of time. How could the man that dubbed himself her father even say that Malfoy was a good person to associate with? Discretely she rolled her eyes.  
  
Malfoy sidled past Mr. Grenaldi, about to leave. Mr. Grenaldi tapped him on his shoulder and asked him if he could have a word with him after he spoke to his daughter. Malfoy nodded and told him that he would be waiting downstairs at the gargoyle.  
  
He left Dumbledore's office with much to think about. He knew of the Grenaldi's and their lost daughter but never had he thought that it would be Hermione. She was a mudblood. A muggle lover. Oh god his life was going to turn upside down from now on. Why did they have to find her before he was married and why not a little later, after he was married to a less annoying counter part?  
  
He knew the best course of action would be to write to his father. His father knew the Grenaldi family and he would know what Draco should do regarding this matter. He might not like his father but he knew that he would incur his father's wrath if his father found out that he had withheld important information as such from him.  
  
He wondered if this was what his father had meant when he said he had found her a new bride. Could it be that he knew about Hermione being a Grenaldi or was it someone else? Suddenly something clicked.  
  
Voldemort. Voldemort most probably knew of the fact that Hermione would be able to use her powers when she turned sixteen and made a wise guess that Danielle would have a premonition. That meant that he had no way out of it. He would have to marry the ugly, know-it-all witch.  
  
He wondered what would happen to him when his father found out that he had been making the life of a Grenaldi hell. Sighing, he leaned against the wall, waiting to speak to Mr. Grenaldi.  
  
Back at Dumbledore's office, Dumbledore was trying to make sense of the situation which was undeniably difficult due to the fact that Danielle was near hysterics as he daughter did not recognize her. Mr. Grenaldi too was not much help as he was trying to calm his poor wife.  
  
"Please everybody calm down and take a seat. Please that way we can get things done!" Dumbledore's voice boomed. Everyone froze and strangely they followed that course of action as everyone in times of desperation seeks for a dictator and now Dumbledore had assumed the role of one.  
  
The couple sat on either side of Dumbledore and Hermione sat opposite them. She took the time when everyone was in silence to observe them. The man, Mr. Grenaldi she had deduced was tall. Taller than Malfoy and he had raven black hair.  
  
His eyes were green, not emerald like Harry's but an almost aqua color. He was extremely muscular and looked much like a Quidditch player. His thin lips were forming a smirk like smile at the very moment as he assessed Dumbledore and right away Hermione took a dislike towards him.  
  
He reminded her much of Lucius Malfoy and to put it nicely she and him weren't on the best of terms. His hair was neat and falling at his chin. Clean shaven, he obviously was concerned about the image he presented to society.  
  
His facial features were striking and seemed to command respect, Hermione instantly deemed him an aristocrat as he looked much like one. From his posture, Hermione saw that he didn't slouch, yet did not seem to sit straight up. Both his and his wife's posture seemed to contain grace and elegance that would obviously take ages to attain.  
  
She turned to look at the woman only to find that she was being inspected by the woman. She looked into her blue rimmed gray eyes. They had a certain intensity that caused the hair on Hermione's back to stand.  
  
They seemed to be looking at her, assessing her and looking deep into her soul. Hermione broke eye-contact as there were many parts of her that she didn't want people looking into. Parts of her that she herself had not figured out.  
  
The lady was extremely petite, a huge contrast to her husband. Her features were also aristocratic and she seemed like she had been born with poise. Her eye's traveled up to the woman's strawberry blonde hair, it was pulled into a chignon, a French hairstyle that woman of upper class frequently sported. The woman held a natural elegance and was beautiful naturally as Hermione realized that she wore minimal makeup.  
  
"I wonder if her hair's bottle and natural," Hermione wondered to herself. "It's natural dear," a voice sounded in her head.  
  
"WHAT!!" Hermione exclaimed, shocked at hearing the lady's soothing voice in her head.  
  
"It is confirmed. You are my daughter. Only charmed sisters and mother's can communicate through mind talk," the lady said, smiling. Danielle heaved a sigh of relief when she realized that the conversation was finally going somewhere.  
  
"Wait! I don't understand?! Charmed sisters. I've read about them before...Are you really my mother?" Hermione said, losing the ability to form coherent sentences.  
  
"Yes Miss. Granger, I believe they are your parents. This is Danielle Halliwal and Cameron Grenaldi. Danielle chooses to go by her marriage name though," Dumbledore said placidly, hoping that Hermione would realize what that meant without him having to explain everything.  
  
"Wait. That would make me a..." Hermione thought aloud trailing off. She was reeling from the shock of finding her parents and now it was slowly and surely sinking in; the two people in front of her were indeed her parents. She looked at them and finally figured out what was amiss.  
  
"Yes that would make you a charmed one," Danielle completed for her daughter. She loved the girl so much. Years of heartache and searching and finally they had found her.  
  
"B...but I don...don't look like either of you..."Hermione said the flame of hope that flickered in her heart a moment before burned and died out.  
  
Danielle smiled at her. A genuine smile that neither contained sadness nor the usual fake smiles that she had pasted on whenever in public. Her features lit up. "Oh. That's because we put a concealing spell on you when you were a baby and we never got a chance to lift it," Danielle said.  
  
"But...why? Was it because you didn't want me to find out that I was your daughter? Why did you leave me?" Hermione screamed choking on her sobs. Her happiness at finding her true parents had ebbed away leaving an emptiness and she felt angry. They had left her, their own daughter. How could they have subjected her to such pain? How?  
  
Now after fifteen years they appear out of nowhere. And hadn't her parents mentioned that they had gotten in touch, how come it had taken them so long to find her. Danielle felt her heart break for her daughter.  
  
She arose from her chair and walked beside Antoinette. Kneeling at her side, she touched her daughter's arm gently. Immediately all the thoughts flowing through Hermione's mind were transported to her.  
  
One thing confused Danielle. Her daughter had mentioned them contacting her adopted parents beforehand but truth be told, neither her nor her husband had done anything of that sort. Who could have done it? Could it be a well wisher or someone who wished to harm her precious daughter?  
  
"Oh darling. We didn't leave you and we love you so much...You...you were taken during the war..." Danielle said trailing off and her face contorting as though she was pushing back the memory that was threatening to resurface.  
  
Hermione unfortunately was unhappy with that answer. She didn't want to push the lady but at the same time she felt a need to find out why? Why her parents had left her.  
  
"I'll show you..." Danielle said after thinking it over. She understood Hermione need for an explanation as she too had experienced it more than once in her life.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore do you by any chance have a pensive?" Danielle asked her voice shaking as she knew she would have to relive the night she had lost her daughter; her only thought was that she now had her daughter with her.  
  
Dumbledore nodded at Danielle and summoned the bowl with many carvings along its edge. Touching her wand to her temples, Danielle withdrew a silver strand most probably of the memory. Once the wand came into contact with the contents of the bowl, light emanated from it, it formed a screen and Hermione watched as the beginning of her life as a supposed orphan had begun.  
  
She saw a huge room grand and elegant. There was obviously much thought put into the interior design of the...nursery. "What a big room for a baby," Hermione though to herself. Suddenly she saw the door swing open and a younger version of Danielle walk into the room.  
  
She sat of the elegant chair and held a bundle of cloth close to her, on closer look; Hermione saw that it was a baby. It had brown eyes and was tiny. It had tiny tufts of light brown almost on its head.  
  
"Hush little baby don't say a word, Mama's going to buy you a mockingbird and if that mocking bird don't sing, mama's going to buy you a diamond ring," the Danielle in the screen crooned to the baby which was gurgling happily.  
  
A toddler came running in. "Mummy! Mummy! There are aurors here. Run!" she shrieked as she had seen her father dueling the aurors. Danielle gasped and immediately grabbed hold of the toddler's hand and held on to the baby.  
  
She closed her eyes in concentration. Suddenly a auror appeared at the door. He seeing no chance against the charmed one decided to go for her weakness. "Accio baby!" he shouted and the baby flew out of Danielle's grasp and towards the auror.  
  
Danielle tried to take a step towards the baby but it was too late; the spell was cast and she screamed, "NO!" just as she and the toddler disappeared into thing air.  
  
Her scream echoed around the room and the auror looked down at the baby his face holding only a look of compassion. Suddenly there were death-eaters surrounding them. "Give us Antoinette!" Lucius Malfoy commanded.  
  
The auror apperated away and suddenly the screen went black.  
  
"That's all I saw," Danielle said. Hermione was in tears. The desperation in Danielle's eyes when her younger self had been accioed spoke for itself and Hermione was convinced. She squeezed her eyes together tightly, trying to remember, but instead a vision hit her.  
  
The auror who had taken her stopped in front of an orphanage. "This way, you won't be evil. Rest child, your help will be required in the war to come," he said smiling at the child. Leaving her at the doorstop, he rang the doorbell before apperating away.  
  
He apperated to Hogsmeade, wanting to get to Dumbledore to tell him of the charmed one at the orphanage at once. Suddenly out of no where Lucius Malfoy appeared. "Where do you think you're going? Where is the child?" he demanded.  
  
The auror looked around and realized he was surrounded. "Tell me! Crucio," Lucius Malfoy said pointing his wand at the panicked auror. The auror fell to the ground writhing in pain. Hermione felt bile rising up her throat as she saw Malfoy's malicious grin as though he took pleasure in delivering the unforgivable curses.  
  
"I will not tell you," the auror wheezed when the spell was lifted.  
  
"Then you are of no use to us," Lucius Malfoy said, then adding, "Avada Kerdavra."  
  
Hermione gasped as she came out of her trance like state. "He took me to the orphanage..." Hermione said trailing off. Danielle still had a hold on Hermione's arm and thus, she too saw the whole thing. Tears sprang forth threatening to spill. She used her fingers to brush them away.  
  
Sighing lightly, she stood up.  
  
"We have lot's of things to explain, Antoinette but everything cannot be done today, You will floo to the manor every weekend to have princess lessons where you will be taught grace and poise and also your wandless magic will be honed. We expect you to be there by 7.00 in the morning on Saturday and will leave on Sunday evening." Mr. Grenaldi said in a monotone.  
  
He had been taught since young to not show feelings in public and right now he was trying his best to mask all of them. He loved his daughter, but yet his learnings told him not to show it.  
  
"I will be leaving to sort out some things with Mister Malfoy, Danielle, stay with her and explain all you can," Mr. Grenaldi said before departing. He hated himself for doing that but he knew that if anyone, anyone at all found that he care for the girl, it would endanger her life. As a death-eater, he had to conceal the fact the he cared for his family.  
  
"Oh...Miss Granger, why don't you take your mother to your common room and catch up on things, let's say I'll conveniently busy Mister Malfoy with duties until around ten at night. Well, have fun," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes.  
  
"Err...Okay. I mean thank you professor," Hermione said before turning to the woman who called herself her mother. "Umm...follow me please," she said to Danielle. Danielle Grenaldi nodded to Professor Dumbledore before leaving his office.  
  
She couldn't believe they had finally found her. After so much searching. She loved her so much that she thought her heart might just burst. Her daughter had grown up to be a fine lady, she was perfect and Danielle knew that she would have no problem fitting in with the family and social circles.

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AN:Ok guys. I know it's a day late but my stupid computer refused to work yesterday so I only completed it like now. I think it is one of the longest chapters and I tried my best to not make it like a information dump. I gotta go the apprentice is up next and I wanna watch what happens this week. Guess what? I thought up a new story line that delves into the inner politics of the slytherin house. There will be a own character but I will try my best to not make it a Mary-Sue.

Anyone out there who thinks that they could give me and idea on what to do next. I need a few linkage chapters between a certain engagement. Guess whose??? Hahahax. Malfoy will torment Hermione. He has not gone soft nor will he ever. BWHAHAHA. evil laughter

Buaiz I'm outiez...

I'm going now....

Won't you miss me...

If you will...

drop me a review...

If you don't...

still drop me a review...

Now I'm leaving...

for real.

Sapphire out.


	12. Chapter 11

AN:I know this barely passes the friggin mark of three thousand words per chappie...It's 3028 words. Sorry about that but I have been super busy and the updates are slowing down. Talk to my teachers regarding that, also my mom makes off with my lab top to her school and since I only have it saved there I can't type when I'm free.

Oh god...I think I need a break. I don't think I'll update for a few weeks (max a month), cuz I have a huge back log of homework calling my name and this is the last time you will hear from me in a month or so. I need to get the work done or my wonderful teachers will call up my mom and complain and I'll have my labtop privileges ripped away from me before you can say 'bazooka'.

I shouldn't treat this Author notes thingy as a blog right? Well anywayz it's good to know about everyone's favorite author and I'll leave you at peace to read now.

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Malfoy was leaning against the wall outside Dumbledore's office brooding. He knew there was no way out of it has when he was fourteen and found that he was to be married to some witch he never knew of he had ransacked the whole of the Manor's library which was even more extensive than Hogwart's.

To his disdain he had found nothing, absolutely nothing to get out of it but from that escapade he had learned more about the spell that bound him to the Grenaldi's daughter. Of course then he had not know who she was, but now that her identity had been revealed, he felt nauseas.

She was a stinking-Gryffindor, know-it-all mudblood...well maybe not mudblood but still. "My life is great, just great." he sighed running his hand through his hair.

He would have to find a way out of this. There would be no way he let this go through. How could he marry her? She wouldn't know how to fit in the circles that all pure-bloods socialized in. She was socially inept. He was ready to bet his Malfoy fortune that she didn't know ballroom dancing like the waltz, tango, mambo, cha cha and so many others.

Also she looked disgusting. Her new look had shocked him but she held no elegance, grace and poise like the ladies he usually met. She looked alright but not like the many striking beauties he had seen in past.

"This is not helping..." he chided himself for resorting to childish behavior instead of dealing with it like a true Malfoy. A Malfoy would take on the challenge. He would turn it into a win-lose position with him on the gaining end.

After having this talk with himself, Malfoy decided on one thing. He would make her life hell, taunt her and make her hate him so much so that she hopefully committed suicide and then he wouldn't have to marry her would he?

Unfortunately for him he knew nothing of Hermione's iron will and 'never-say-die' perspective.

Back at Dumbledore's office, Hermione was leading her mother down. She was still reveling in shock as she had not completely grasped the news that she was a pure blood and here was another information overload telling her she was a pure blood and a charmed sister.

"Wait that means I must have siblings..." Hermione said unknowingly wondering aloud. The woman whose face was still pale from revisiting the memories brightened. A smile crept tugged at her lips as she thought about her other two daughters and the charmed circle being reunited again.

She felt the raw power radiating off Hermione and instantly knew, she had inherited more than one power. She knew that the power's had shifted. Being a descendant of a charmed one and a demon herself she had inherited both their power thus her ability to shimmer and also a mind reader and a seer. She had many other powers but she rarely used them as she now had to train her daughters to use their powers and with her they would never truly be independent.

"Yes Antoinette darling. You have two sisters, Adrianne and Alana. Oh yes and finally with you the charmed circle will be complete. You will reach the height of your powers then. We will complete the circle when you come visit during the weekend." Danielle said looking at her daughter fondly.

She was worried that Antoinette would not accept her as her mother and her worse fears were coming true. She could see the skepticism in the girl's eyes and being an impath feel the resentment the girl felt. She swallowed all her tears and told herself to make the best of the time she had with her now.

"Please call me Hermione. I...I just can't get used to the name Antoinette," Hermione insisted politely. Her parents might have named her something but who gave them the right to barge in and change her whole life.

"Yes Antoi...Hermione darling," Danielle said trying to smile. Her daughter didn't respond to the name she and her husband had chosen but chose to be referred to by a stupid muggle name. Hermione.

Mr. Grenaldi stalked out of the office only to see Malfoy leaning lightly against the wall apparently deep in thought. He smiled as he realized that Lucius Malfoy's son looked like a chip of the old block. He smiled reminiscing about the mischief that Lucius and he had caused back in their school days.

They were the ruling powers of Slytherin house, making their orders the word of god. He remembered the numerous pranks he had pulled on the annoying Gryffindors. He smiled remembering that his daughter was in Gryffindor. "They can't be too bad then..." he thought to himself.

He snapped out of his trance and saw Malfoy surveying him. The boy was extremely good looking and would compliment his daughter well. He was a little too arrogant for his own good but then again so was his father. Mr. Grenaldi smiled in memory of the trouble that Lucius Malfoy had gotten into especially with that trainee teacher at that time Professor. McGonagall.

"Draco...isn't it?" Mr. Grenaldi said clearing his throat so as to get the boy's attention. Malfoy was jerked out of his reverie by Mr. Grenaldi. He smiled slightly at the man and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes sir...Why did you want to see me?" he enquired putting to use the years of manners that had been drilled into him, becoming a second nature when in the presence of people of high status.

"Oh just to confirm Mister Malfoy, you will be marrying my daughter yes? I hope your father has made no other arrangements as it will be a loss to you to not marry my dear Antoinette." Mr. Grenaldi said with an air of an extremely proud father.

It took all that Malfoy had in him to keep himself from retching. He let his jaw go slack but still muttered a soft, "Of course not. We are extremely proud to have a Grenaldi join our line." The reason he had said that was as he knew that if he didn't his father would know and that would mean he would be punished.

Mr. Grenaldi cracked a smile and his eyes twinkled. He liked the boy in front of him and believed that him and his daughter would compliment each other nicely. He could sense the boy's reluctance in the matter but also knew that he held no power over it in the end.

"Well I best be off, I have a few matters to clear up in the ministry," Mr. Grenaldi said and stuck his hand out to shake Malfoys before swiftly turning on his heels and leaving and extremely annoyed Malfoy behind.

"Ahh...Mr. Malfoy I have been looking for you. I have a job for you. Could you please organize a dance item that the prefects will put up on the Halloween ball? You are welcome to leave and purchase the decorations as well," a voice said from behind him.

Swiftly turning he saw Professor Dumbledore standing at the doorway of his office. He nodded knowing that even though it seemed as though he had a choice it most probably meant that he didn't. "A dance item?" he thought mulling it over in his mind. He would have to call a prefects meeting to discuss everything.

As though reading his mind Professor Dumbledore added, "Yes and the prefects will be here in five minutes except for the head girl. She will not be there to attend and I believe that the both of you will be dancing partners in light of certain matters of course." Dumbledore's eyes held a twinkle and his mouth was curved in a smile.

"D...dance with the mud...I mean Granger?" Malfoy choked when he finally processed that information.

"Yes Mister Malfoy unless you have any qualms about it?" Dumbledore said knowing that Malfoy would not dare say that he did.

"Why not at all Professor. Please excuse me while I go to the head's quarters to retrieve some files on previous balls," Malfoy said turning before Professor Dumbledore could get a word in edgewise.

He stalked to the head's quarters fuming. The reason he wanted to get there was not to get the file but to confront Hermione on the fact that they were betrothed. He didn't think that she knew but what the heck he would have someone to take his frustration out on.

Danielle and Hermione walked to the head's quarters in silence. It wasn't a companiable silence but an uncomfortable feeling. "Umm...so...you're my mother," Hermione began trying to fill the silence but ended lamely, forgetting what she wanted to know.

Now the initial shock was gone and she had found out how she had been kidnapped from her family, the rage too was dying down, replaced with a desire to know the people who were her parents, to see her sisters to ease into a life with them. She was nervous wondering what would happen if none of them like her. What if she offended them?

Danielle looked at her daughter and smiled lovingly, "Yes and you are my daughter," she said trying to lighten the atmosphere. She found her daughter's nervousness endearing and also it was much better than the rage and skepticism that she had put up earlier.

They finally reached a portrait of an extremely pretty lady. "Ah Hermione and oh...Miss Halliwal," Ella said realizing who it was that stood behind Hermione.

Danielle smiled slightly at that and said softly, "It's Mrs. Grenaldi now..." Ella smiled at her charmingly and then added, "It's an honor to meet you,"

"Umm...Inky Quills," Hermione butted in as she had been watching the exchange between both women and she was getting bored and she also didn't want to waste the time she had with her mother. "I won't be seeing her for a whole week after this," Hermione thought to herself.

Ella bid them goodbye before the portrait became a door. Reaching for the doorknob Hermione pulled it open her mother behind her. She stood frozen to the ground when she saw the state the common room was in. There were shards of glass all around, broken vases, the bookshelf upturned, Books strewn across the room.

It looked as though a herd of angry elephants had madly rampaged the room. Danielle was behind Hermione wondering why her daughter had stood still. She wondered if she had accidentally cast a time freezing spell. She waved her hands to check, thankfully she had not.

"Ahh...finally here are we mudblood...oh sorry, it's Grenaldi now right," a sarcastic drawl came from the couch. Malfoy was sprawled gracefully on the couch and he was looking directly at her. He had obviously been the cause of the mess.

Hermione looked at him and blinked. His hair was perfect, not one out of place and his robes were pressed neatly. He deeply contrasted with the room which looked like a war zone. He leapt off the couch and swiftly made his way towards her in a fluid movement.

"Ahem..." Danielle cleared her throat sensing a dispute. Hermione snapped out of her trance and Malfoy realized that Mrs. Grenaldi stood behind Hermione. He forced his sneer into a smile and moved aside allowing Hermione and her mother to pass.

Danielle looked at the boy with obvious dislike having heard the way he treated her daughter. "You are Lucius Malfoy's son?" she said when realization hit upon her. Malfoy nodded and hid his smirk with a cough. "Th...Then you must be. Oh dear I was hoping we wouldn't have to discuss this until much later but, I never expected you to know each other..." Danielle said trailing off.

"Discuss what?" Hermione said not expecting what would come next. Danielle managed a shaky smile and she wondered how her daughter would take the news. She had barely come to terms with the fact that she was ripped away from her childhood and so soon there was a need to drop a huge bomb on her.

All Danielle hoped was that Hermione got on well with Draco and the words were just of mere banter or their lives from that point onward would prove tough. She wondered if Draco knew about the betrothal.

"Oh...I don't know maybe our marriage," Malfoy drawled struggling to keep the contempt and sarcasm out of his tone. He wanted to be the one that dropped the bomb and saw her squirm and he had achieved it. Danielle glared at him but he pretended to not notice.

"Oh well...I have to go. Professor Dumbledore needs me to complete a task," Malfoy added turning on his heels and exiting the room. He had seen the shocked expression on her face and he knew that it would be enough to last a lifetime.

"Oh god a lifetime with her," he murmured incoherently as he walked to Dumbledore's office.

"Please tell me he is joking," Hermione near pleaded when she came to her senses. He had to be joking, how could him and her of all people be getting married. He was an obnoxious idiot and only thought of her as a know it all mudblood even though the last bit didn't apply at the moment.

"Unfortunately I can't tell you that dear, I would be lying," Danielle said tentatively. She was unsure on how Hermione would take the news. She braced herself for the screaming but none came.

"Well, that's just too bad, I'm not marrying him. He's my worst enemy for god's sake," Hermione said calmly settling down on the couch. She was certain that there was a way out of it. There had to be.

"You have to darling. I'm sorry about him being your worst enemy but you were bethroed to him when you were a baby. The spell we used to bind you two is unbreakable," Danielle explained, surprised at her daughter's ability to keep her cool at infuriating moments as such.

"What spell did you use? There must be a way around it..." Hermione wondered aloud. She was thinking up all the spells that her parents could have used to bind the marriage and all that came to her mind seemed to be the type that could easily be broken.

"We used the 'incassable lien'. It's a French spell, created by one of the most famous wizards alive Merlin," Danielle said hoping that Hermione would drop the subject and they could get to know one another. She knew she was being selfish in the matter but she really didn't want to waste the alone time with her daughter.

There was so much to know about the beautiful girl that she had been deprived of for so many years. "The 'incassable lien'...but that's unbreakable. There is no known way out of it!" Hermione shrieked, the full weight of the situation dawning on her.

"Yes dear, you should just accept it. You can discuss it with your husband to be later on," Danielle said, not understanding why he daughter was getting hysterical.

"But I hate him. He has been the bane of my existence since I was eleven. And when are we supposed to get married," Hermione near screamed. She had asked when they were getting married so as to see how much longer she had to come up with a way around the situation.

"Please don't fret darling, I'm sure he's a charming young man. Let's not talk about it then, leave you time to mull things over. Come now, tell me about yourself," Danielle said trying to distract the obviously distressed teenager.

"Umm...Alright. I always thought I was a muggle till I got the letter from Hogwarts..."Hermione began, telling her mother what she had missed. She talked about Harry, Ron, the adventures they would go on, the teachers, School and so many other things.

Hermione had never met anyone so easy to talk to. Her mother was extremely pleasant much unlike her demanding father. He had been ordering her around even though it had been only half an hour since they met. She wondered what they would be doing during the poise and confidence lessons her father had talked about.

"Tell me about yourself...Mrs. Grenaldi," Hermione said, not ready to accept the woman as her mother any time soon.

"Well, I'm a charmed one...it's quite hard to explain but I'll try..." Danielle said trailing off as the clock struck nine. Both of them glanced up in shock, had so many hours just passed?

"Well, I guess that's a story for another day. You'll be flooing in on Friday won't you? Perfect we'll have to make certain arrangements. Well darling...see you during the weekend, I'll miss you," Danielle said with her eyes sparkling with tears. She loved the girl. She was such a good daughter.

"Bye, I'll see you during the weekend Mrs. Grenaldi," Hermione said nervously. Danielle smiled sadly suppressing her tears but something told her that the brick wall that seemed unbreakable between them earlier had a tiny crack in it. Even as small and insignificant as the crack was it meant something to her.

"See you dear and don't fret about your betrothal...it is inevitable so yeah. Bye," Danielle said before pulling Hermione into a fierce hug and then climbing into the fireplace after muttering the words, "Grenaldi Mansion."

Hermione watched as the woman disappeared in a swirl of green smoke. "Hermione...the head boy and prefects are at the great hall practicing for the dance item. You should go if you are up to it," the cool voice announced out of nowhere. Hermione nodded to no one in particular and made her way to the great hall immediately.

She had so many things going on in her mind that it was giving her a migraine. Her being bethroed to a Malfoy was definitely a domineering thought. He was her worst enemy and now they had to live together? God her life sucked. She liked her mother enough but she wasn't extremely pleased with her father's pushiness.

Sighing she quickened her pace to the Grand Hall.

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AN:Thanks for reading ya'll, guess what? I decided to be nice. Since I can't resist fanfiction, I'll keep checking my review numbers. If they seem to be more appealing than my homework, I guess my priorities might just change. See ya'll hopefully in a few weeks time cuz I really have to get that homework done. Buaiz.


	13. Chapter 12

AN:Hello all you gorgouse people out there reviewing. I'm back. Not for long but I decided that I was being rather hypocritic by not giving my readers the chappie they wanted and at the same time badgering others to update. I hope ya'll like it. It doesn't pass the 3000 word limit. Misses it by like thirty words or so. I will be having finals for the next few weeks (my school staggers them fro nxt week to mid november I think) so the chapters won't be that often but still review. They give me inspiration. I have questions I want answers to in the end so tell me what you think OK.

Now on to the story

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"I think we should get a DJ to come mix both the muggle and wizard tracks together," Parvati Patil chimed in. Malfoy wasn't paying much attention to the meeting as his mind was currently filled with the crisis on hand. He wondered how Hermione was taking it.

He really hoped that she had killed herself and spared him from doing so. How was he going to survive living with such an insufferable know it all. She was so annoying, held absolutely no class, didn't know how to hold herself with poise and grace...god she had so many faults.

Why did his father have to get them engaged and what more with an unbreakable spell! Pansy would have been better than this.

"Drakky..." a screeching voice infiltrated his senses. He glanced up to see Pansy Parkinson. The girl who thought that he was in love with her. She was supposed to be from upper society yet was so annoying, clingy and stupid. The only reason he had not cursed her to oblivion yet was because he suspected that his father had bethroed him to her.

He couldn't believe that he had once though of her as an ice queen, a beauty but now all he saw was a dim witted air head that depended on her looks that she was. God he couldn't wait to break the news that he was bethroed to someone else.

It wasn't great news to him but at the same time it would finally get her off his back. He would be free from her clinginess.

"I've been looking for you all over baby. I've missed you so much. Why didn't you owl me during the summer...oh never mind honey at least we're together now," Pansy simpered as she ran towards him, her arms outstretched.

Thankfully due to swiftness that only comes with seeker practice, Malfoy managed to step aside just as Pansy threw herself towards him.

She landed. Sprawled ungracefully on the ground while the rest of the prefects snickered both at what she had called Draco Malfoy, bad boy of the school and also at the way she had fallen oh so gracefully to the floor.

"What do you want Pansy," Draco stated more than asked coldly.

"Well...is it a crime to just say hi to my hubby to be?" Pansy said, tears coming to her eyes and her cheeks flushed from embarrassment. She wondered why Draco had never fallen under her spell. She had spoken to her parents and asked them to clinch a betrothal with him and to her extreme pleasure his father had agreed.

It seemed that Draco's bethroed from childhood had gone missing and they had given up waiting. Thus they almost everything was confirmed with only a few things left to iron out.

"Huh?" Draco replied confused. He thought that he had been bethroed to Hermione...Wait. Finally it made sense. Everything clicked together.

"So...you're the poor girl who is going to bawl her heart out when she finds out that they've found the missing Grenaldi, my future wife...and guess what both of us know her," Malfoy said smirking at her as she stared at him shell shocked.

The rest of the prefects too were staring at him. Ron was shocked too. He wondered who the 'lucky' girl was. He hoped that it wasn't someone nice as it would be torture having to live with that insufferable git. "Where's Mione'," he wondered when he realized that she had been missing so far.

It wasn't like her to miss meetings unless something important cropped up. He made a mental note to go see her later on.

"You're lying," Pansy screamed pushing herself off the ground. She dusted of her robes and stalked towards Malfoy. Pointing a finger at his chest she screamed again this time, "Prove it!"

At the very moment an extremely flustered Hermione made an entrance. "What is all the screaming about? Oh...Parkinson what are you doing here. Get back to your dorms it is past curfew!" Hermione said taking in the scene before her.

Pansy Parkinson was in a rage, she was screaming at Malfoy jabbing her finger at him. The rest of the prefects were watching with expressions of shock and amusement on their faces.

"Back off mudblood," Pansy screeched at Hermione before turning back on Malfoy and screaming and anguished, "Who is she?"

"Why don't you ask her? She's right here in the room," Malfoy drawled, glancing at Hermione and smirking at her when he realized how squeamish she was looking. At that Pansy spun on her feet and looked at the prefects eyeing every girl in the room suspiciously.

Ron too glanced around wondering who the hell the girl was. He wanted to seek her out and give her his utmost sympathies.

Pansy's eyes held a wild surreal glint that showed that she was extremely dangerous. Malfoy noticed Hermione eyeing Pansy with extreme nervousness, knowing that she would never speak out he decided to 'help' her out.

"Who is it?" Pansy screamed, panicking as she was worried that Draco Malfoy might actually be telling the truth. What the hell, her parents had worked hard to secure her marriage to a Malfoy and she had been more than pleased when she herself learned of it.

He was the richest, most cultured, most handsome, and most hot male in almost the entire wizarding world. Even the French had been after his hand. She hoped that the girl he was bethroed to was plain and ugly.

"Well, why don't you tell her dearest," Malfoy said his voice dripping with sarcasm, looking pointedly at Hermione who was standing alone by the door. The rest of the prefects were in the middle of the room.

"Where? Who is she," Pansy asked stupidly as she followed Draco's gaze which landed on Hermione. She looked around stupidly as though the person was cloaked in an invisibility cloak. Then finally it hit her. Hermione Granger. The know-it-all mudblood was who Malfoy was hinting.

Hermione glared at Malfoy when she realized what he was trying to do. He was doing his best to humiliate her, make her life hell and torment her so much. She shut her eyes and counted to ten as Pansy stared around the room stupidly.

"Surely you jest darling, why would your parents, especially your father betroth you to a mudblood?" Pansy said smiling slightly when she assumed that Draco had been teasing her all along.

Ron was confused? Why was Malfoy calling Hermione his dearest, unless...oh no! It couldn't be. She defiantly wouldn't have fallen for that stupid ferret. He got a better look at Hermione and did a double take. She looked different. Very very different. Her hair was no longer in its bushy state but straight and sleek making her give off an elegant aura.

"Um...missing Grenaldi, Granger adopted at youth...put it together Pansy," Malfoy announced, proving to Hermione that she was in fact right to believe that he would announce it to the world. Malfoy smirked at Hermione, knowing that she was probably mortified at this.

"Hermione Granger, mudblood extraordinaire is a Grenaldi? No way. I will be writing to your father about this darling," Pansy said still wallowing in self pity and refusing to believe the facts that were glaring at her in her face.

Pansy waved coyly at Draco before storming out of the room, purposely shoving her against the door as she walked past. The rest of the prefects were awe struck at the happenings in the past few minutes.

Hermione was too shocked to even speak. Draco had just spilled her biggest secret to a room full of people. She blinked rather stupidly before finally coming to her senses. She would lie. Lie her way out of it but then on the other hand, would denial bait the students into wanting to know more?

"Well...so what has been discussed so far?" Hermione said scanning the crowd. She was trying to sound nonchalant but her voice cracked halfway out of nervousness. Tears were brimming in her eyes and she didn't want to end up crying in front of them. She knew that her eyes always turned red when she was about to cry and the tears were threatening to fall.

"Umm...I think we should adjourn for today since we've already covered most of the things like music and everything," Ron piped up once he recovered from the shock and noticed his friend's dilemma. He was feeling numb. His best friend, the girl he had thought of as his other sister was to be wed to Malfoy.

He could recognize the symptoms and it meant that Hermione was already close to tears. Suddenly he was filled with rage, why hadn't she told him? Why had he and Harry been so obsessed with their lives that they did not notice the difference in their friend? He blamed himself for not sensing something was wrong and her for hiding it from him.

Malfoy was annoyed. He could see that Granger was close to tears and wanted to jeer at her in front of the rest of the crowd. Suddenly something hit upon him, he wouldn't be allowed to. His father would defiantly punish him for any ill treatment of his fiancé. If he wanted to torment her, it would have to be sneaky and cunning so that she would feel embarrassed while he got off scot free.

The rest of the male prefects nodded nervously as they didn't want to experience an outburst of epic proportions. Malfoy rolled his eyes and muttered something incoherent under his breath before saying, "You're all dismissed."

The guys made a beeline for the exit, leaving behind the females and Ron. Ron looked at Hermione sympathetically and walked over to his friend. She was crumpled on the ground, leaning weakly against the wall and had her head in her hands. Draco Malfoy smirked at her weakness and retreated into the shadows to watch the happenings.

Ginny stepped out of the throng of girls. She was shocked. Her friend was suffering so much and she hated Malfoy making her pain worse. She rushed towards her, beating Ron. She kneeled in front of her friend and whispered a soft, "Mione?"

There was no response except a muffled sob escaping from Hermione encompassed mouth. Ginny sighed as she felt someone tap her on her back. She turned and saw her brother. She nodded understandingly and shuffled over, she gestured towards Ron saying that she would be headed towards the Gryffindor common room as Ron squatted in front of Hermione's crumpled form.

"Mione...Mione look at me," Ron whispered softly. Hermione shook her head violently but did not look up.

Her heart was aching. Malfoy was treating her like a plaything. His mosquito repellant to Pansy Parkinson. She felt tears slipping down her cheeks and she hated herself. Hated that she was so weak. So unable to cope with the tension.

Ron slipped his hand to her chin and pushed her face up to face him. Her eyes were red from crying and yet she looked so innocent and childlike. Ron felt a strange instinct, as thought to take her away and keep her safe from the world.

Hermione looked up at him slowly, "So you're not mad?" Hermione choked through her tears. Ron smiled at her sadly.

"I am but mostly at myself as I failed to notice your dilemma," Ron said running his hand through his hair. Guilt encompassed him as he looked at his best friend. "I'm sorry...I haven't been the best friend you deserve," he said trying to ease his guilt.

Hermione's mouth twitched as she heard Ron apologize. "It's okay..." she said pushing herself off the ground. Ron followed suit and both of them stood facing each other wondering what to say.

"Hermione..." Ron said just as Hermione said his name. Ron held out his hands and Hermione rushed into them, letting loose all the pent up feelings. She clutched at his shirt and cried, burying her head in his shoulder.

Her parents. Malfoy. The new powers. Everything swirled together and became a whirlwind.

Tears were soaking through his robe but Ron did not care. A strange new feeling took over his being. He wanted to keep on holding onto Hermione for eternity, never letting her go. He would have been happy if he had died on the very spot.

He closed his eyes and settled his chin on her shoulder. Together they stood and everything ceased to exist to Ron. Everything but himself and Hermione.

"Ahem..." someone cleared their throat, jerking Ron out of his trance. Hermione sprung out of Ron's arms and blushed furiously. Both of them turned to find Malfoy looking at them with fury and a little amusement.

Hermione was mortified and also frightened at what Malfoy would do after catching her and Ron hugging. She felt that the hug was purely innocent but wondered how Malfoy would interpret it. She didn't care for his feelings but more of what his revenge would be.

"Leave Weasley. I need to talk to my fiancé," Malfoy said stressing on the words fiancé and smirking at Ron. Ron looked at him adamantly but when he heard Hermione's words, he decided that it would be best that he didn't leave.

"Ron go. This is between me and my fiancé, I don't want you getting hurt," Hermione whispered. Hermione was only looking at Ron's best interests. Malfoy would most probably use a curse on him and then the small problem would get blown up and two soon the whole school would be buzzing with news of her and Malfoy's engagement.

She was ready to bet that it was already half-way around the whole school. "Well Weasley you leave me no choice..." Malfoy said trailing off as he reached for his wand. Ron too reacted quickly and was in dueling positions with his wand out.

"NO! Please don't fight. Ron as much as I hate the ferret, I will have to live with him so don't make it anymore difficult. Please just leave. This is between me and my fiancé," Hermione screamed fearing for Ron's life. She loved him like a brother and she knew that Malfoy would not hesitate to use the unforgivables which she was ready to bet he had mastered by then.

Also half of what she had said was true. She would have to live with him and she didn't want to make it even more difficult than it already was. She knew that there was no way around the binding spell upon them. She had done research on it for a paper last year and it was said that if the bind the spell created was not formed, both involved parties would slowly grow insane.

Ron shot her a confused look before slowly walking towards the exit of the hall. Once he had walked out, Malfoy fingered his wand. Then he muttered a soft spell and all the doors slammed shut and locked themselves. He looked lazily at Hermione and saw her glaring at him.

"What the hell do you want Malfoy?" Hermione asked seating herself on a chair. She glared at him coldly. She had hated him for so many reasons but today, today he had crossed the limit. He had hurt her, more than she thought anyone could hurt her.

"Do not take that tone with me and stand up! Don't you know it is rude to sit when one's husband or fiancé is standing?" he said maliciously. It was an age old tradition, carried out by only the oldest of pureblood families like his and most probably the Grenaldis.

Hermione looked at him with mild interest and then returned to examining her nails knowing that it would incense him. "I don't have to do anything for you Malfoy. I will find a way out of the contract. I rather go crazy than marry you," Hermione stated as she looked up at him.

"That might be your choice but, I don't think your parents will approve. They will force you into marriage and you know it," Malfoy said smirking as he realized that the know-it-all witch had not thought of it at all.

"Well do you know any way out of it?" Hermione asked accepting defeat as she was already on the loosing end. Malfoy smirked at her and cocked and eyebrow.

"Didn't you know that you can't break the bond? And I thought you were a know-it-all," Malfoy retorted sarcastically.

Hermione rolled her eyes and choose not to respond. She hated him and the fact that he had not hurled and curse at her surprised her.

"Do not ever hug Ron, Harry or any other boy!" Malfoy said trying to sound calm. At this Hermione's head shot up and her hazel eyes met his cold gray ones. They just glared at each other for what seemed eons.

This was his reputation she was messing with. She knew nothing of what it was like to be pureblood, to be the envy of every person and also she knew nothing of respect. Nothing that she had read would steel her for the weeks of intensive training she would be put through...

He felt a twinge of guilt for making her cry the second time in the row but brushed over it blaming her for her own weakness.

Hermione felt extremely unsettled by looking into Malfoy's eyes but at the same time they seemed to pull her in deeper, she realized that she was having great difficulty in pulling her gaze away.

Draco looked at her eyes. He had never really looked at them in the six years he

had known her. They had flecks of amber and gold in the ability to scare him as it seemed as though she was looking into him.

Past everything, into his deepest secrets, darkest moments. He found himself unable to look away from her eyes so he leveled his gaze and glared at her defiantly.

"You have no right to rule my life," Hermione stated arrogantly, not breaking eye contact. She hated him. Who was he to dictate what she could or could not do? Why was he such an arrogant idiot?

She got off the chair and walked towards the door but Malfoy caught her elbow and pulled her towards him. She lost her balance and fell, he palms landing on his chest. His grip on her elbow kept her from moving. She tried her best to pull away but to no avail. "I have a right to do anything I want to do to you," Malfoy whispered maliciously.

Hermione chanced a look at his eyes and winced. They held a glint to them that scared her. It was true, he was obviously stronger than her and since the doors were locked...Hermione's mind kicked into motion imagining worst possible scenarios. Seeing that she had no choice, she closed her eyes and kneed him in the groin.

It connected hard. Malfoy loosened his grip on her elbow when he felt pain sear through his lower body. Hermione seeing her chance, fled to one of the doors. She muttered, "Finite incantem," and the door flew open.

She rushed out and towards the head common room. It was a school day the next day and she wanted to get at least some sleep. No that was just an excuse. She wanted to avoid Malfoy. After what had happened today, she realized that she would have to marry the idiot and didn't want to spend more time with him than she needed to.

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Alrighty now for my questions:

(1) do you think Hermione should be pulled out of school by her parents

(2) How do you think her sisters should react to her

Also there are many others. Please give me suggestions. I feel rather confused cuz I'm not getting much suggestions. Ok guess what? I will only post the chapters that I write up every few weeks. Let your reviews motivate me to work faster.

Also I am losing touch with the humor so anyone out there who can give me some funny instances that i can add please do. Ok that's about all. Ya'll rawk. Everyone of ya'll!

Sapphire out


	14. Chapter 13

AN:I AM SO SORRY!!! I have been super busy because, we had this huge project that was due. I waslike rushing...I hope this is what you waited for. Don't worry, I don't plan to abandon this story. I have too many ideas just no time to actually get down to writing. Well without further ado, the next chapter.

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Malfoy clutched at his throbbing region and sank to his knees. He was in pain. So much pain that it was almost worse than the cruciatus curse. He shut his eyes concentrating on something else. It was something that he always did whenever his father Crucioed him.

His thoughts turned to his father and a hate so strong that it scared him consumed him. Lucius Malfoy was the worst father one would probably get. He stopped squeezing his eyes shut as the pain slowly ebbed away. He pushed away all memories that were rising from the depths back to the back of his mind.

He got up and brushed his robes, scanning the room to make sure that no one had caught him in his moment of weakness. Satisfied that he was alone, he straightened his robes and ran his hand through his hair. Then he started moving slowly as he was still in much pain.

During his slow and torturous walk to the head room in the deserted hallways. He let himself revisit the memories that he kept so tightly locked back. His father crucioing him when on his fifteenth birthday he refused to join his father as a death eater. Malfoy knew that he would be forced to. He had no choice, being a Malfoy but at the same time he hated than man.

Ever since then, every disobedience was met with a punishment sometimes so brutal that he would have to be sent to the emergency ward at St. Mungos. His mother once had stood up for him and his father had slapped her, telling her to not to meddle in issues she knew nothing of.

Finally he reached Ella to find her in deep sleep. "Um...Ella?" he stated. She winced in her sleep but did not wake up. "Let me in...Inky Quills," Malfoy ended up shouting that last bit as his other tactics were not working.

"Wh...what?" Ella said stupidly as she was rudely awakened by Malfoy. Malfoy said the password again and she allowed the door to enlarge muttering to herself disgruntled at being awoken at such an ungodly hour.

Malfoy stormed into the common room and realized that it was no more a mess. He had in a fit of rage thrown things around to vent his frustration. Thankfully he didn't have to clean up the mess and also he hadn't gotten into any trouble.

Walking into the common room he saw Hermione fast asleep on the couch. He felt his anger return double fold and he raised his hand to strike her sleeping form when he was suddenly thrown backwards by an unknown force. The air around Hermione shimmered slightly and formed an orb around her, cocooning her and keeping her safe.

He landed hard, his back slamming against the wall. Yet again, Hermione had thwarted him. He would have to get revenge...then a perfect idea struck him. He would be sickly honey gooey sweet to Hermione that she would be so sick of him. He would play a mind game with her and win. Then hopefully she would leave him alone and maybe after they got married, take on different paths.

He knew that there would be no chance for annulment of his marriage as if there was then his parents would have gotten divorced long long ago. Also he had asked his father if he could divorce his bride after his marriage and he had been Crucioed for even asking. Shaking his head, he stalked into his room slamming the door shut behind him.

The next day, Hermione was rudely awoken by a strange tapping noise. She pushed herself off her bed and landed on the floor with a loud thump. She looked around and realized that she had fallen asleep in the common room after clearing up the mess.

She got up and padded over to the window where a snowy white owl was tapping the glass. She pushed open the glass and it flew in. Landing neatly on the table, the owl stuck out its leg onto which a note was attached. Rubbing her eyes trying to get the sleep out of her system, Hermione looked over and realized that it was Hedwig.

Her parents...no foster parents had written back! She reached over and pulled the rolled script off Hedwig's leg and offered the bird an owl treat which she found somewhere on the table.

Hedwig accepted it, hooted a thanks and flew off disappearing into the still dark sky. Before Hermione could even unroll the script, a black animal swooped into her room through the window.

It landed on the table in one swift moment. It wasn't an owl but something like a phoenix, only black in color. It held itself proudly and looked at her up and down as though she had disappointed her. It had no scrolls attached to it but instead a tag around its neck.

"Happy Birthday darling! I love you and this is your birthday present. It's a pure bred draconian. Love mum & Dad," Hermione read out the short message and looked at the bird curiously. It was immensely proud and seemed to think that she was not worth its attention.

Deciding that she may as well name it, she thought hard but nothing came up. "I don't even know if it's male or female yet," Hermione thought and decided that she would bother about it later. "Be good," she warned it and walked out of the common room to get her clothes.

She suddenly realized something. How was it that her birthday was the same to both her muggle parents who didn't truly know about her birthday and her real parents? "I must have been adopted on my birthday. What a coincidence," Hermione realized smiling to herself.

She sat down on her bed and opened the letter she had received earlier.

Her eyes scanned over the familiar words. The ones she had written to her adopted parents just the day before last. "But Hedwig has never failed to deliver anything..." she wondered to herself. She wondered what she was going to do to contact her parents if they refused to talk back to her.

She closed her eyes and dismissed her thoughts telling herself that it was her birthday and that she would make an effort to enjoy it.

She decided that she would go see Ron and Harry at the Gryffindor tower and was ready to bet that they had forgotten all about her birthday. She walked into the bathroom and took a long shower. Letting the water hit her body, she turned up the temperature until steam was rising and her body turned red from the heat.

Hermione closed her eyes as she toweled herself off. Slipping into a black T-shirt and jeans, she pulled her robes over them and walked out of the bathroom. Reaching for her wand, she magically dried her hair and pulled it into a loose pony tail.

I wish I could get there faster rather than wasting time walking. Hermione closed her eyes and imagined herself at the Gryffindor common room. She felt her molecular structure start to break apart but suddenly she felt like she couldn't move at all.

She remembered that when she was staying with the Weasley's, someone had mentioned splinching. She wondered if that was what she had done to herself. Suddenly she felt her muscles relax and the ability to move returned to her.

She looked around in search of what had caused her disability to move but found nothing. It was strange as though she felt someone watching her earlier and the feeling had just disappeared once she could move.

She wondered what it could have been. "Remember that you promised yourself not to worry?" Hermione chided herself. She shrugged and gave up trying to shimmer knowing that it was insensible as she had no training.

Pushing open the door, she left the head common room, happy that it didn't look like the mess it had been before she cleaned it up. She had been wiped from the days happening only to return to a filthy room and her being the perfectionist that she was she couldn't resist cleaning up.

She walked down the near deserted corridors, as not many students were awake at the ungodly hour.

Her thoughts claimed her as she wondered about her marriage to Malfoy and how the hell she could get out of it. She wondered why he was being so possessive over her last night and only one reason came to mind. He was trying to ruin her life.

She hated him. Arrghh...why me? She wondered and then footsteps behind her caused her to come into an abrupt stop. Grasping her wand in one hand she turned suddenly only to come face to face with Ron. He grinned at her sheepishly and ran his hand through his flaming red hair which was visible even in the darkness.

She grinned back at him. "What are you doing up so early. Oh call the Guinness world record book administrators. This has to be recorded down," she said with mock astonishment, raising a dramatic hand to her head. Ron rolled his eyes and then shrugged.

"I don't know why...I guess I just had a lot on my mind," Ron replied with a rather lopsided grin adding silently to himself, "Mostly which circled around the angel in front of me." Hermione smiled sympathetically at him and draped an arm around his shoulder.

She knew that feeling all too well but couldn't help but wonder what it was that had Ron in such a state. They stood there looking around. The place was completely deserted. Suddenly Hermione shivered as a cold blast of wind whipped in through the window. She suddenly remembered the last night.

"Ron...about last night...umm...I'm sorry you had to find out that way. That I'm bethroed to Draco that is," Hermione said stuttering as she was worried how he would react this time. Ron shrugged and the twinkle in his eyes was lost.

"And you're just going to accept it? Aren't you going to do anything about it? Where's the Hermione that was my best friend?" Ron asked suddenly enraged that Hermione was being such a doormat, allowing everyone to step all over her.

Hermione hung her head and looked at her feet in embarrassment. Ron was extremely angry that the girl, the girl that managed to make him feel like the luckiest man in the world was being ripped away from him. He hated that she was to be wed to Malfoy, his worst enemy.

"How can you just be such a doormat...you're such an idiot Hermione! How can you let your 'parents' just come back and rule your life? Do you realized how much Harry and I have to go though?" Ron said insensitively.

"You have to go through? YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH? What the hell Ron? How can you be so insensitive? I just found out that I'm adopted and that I have to marry a ferret for my Graduation present. How much do you think I have to go through? You think that you are the one that has problems? How does in concern you anyway. You weren't even there when I needed you, why would you need to care about my marriage anyway?" Hermione screamed. She felt all the bottled up anger in her escape as the words came out of her mouth.

She took a deep breath about to continue her tirade but looked up to see that Ron wasn't even looking at her but behind her. "What the hell? You see, you can't even listen to how I feel, why would you care?" she started again but Ron simply glanced at her and looked back behind her. Hermione feeling extremely angry, turned around and looked at what it was that was behind her.

"Ahh...my fiancé. How are you this fine morning?" Malfoy drawled looking at her intently. His smirked at her evilly and turned to look at Ron. "Now Weasel, what did I say about leaving my fiancé alone? You will have to be punished for not listening," Malfoy said twirling his wand.

"What are you going to do Malfoy? You don't own me," Hermione said heatedly.

"You shut up. Another thing to know is never speak against your husband in public, 'silencio'...there that's much better don't you thing darling?" Malfoy drawled making the simple word of endearment seem full of sarcasm.

Hermione opened and closed her mouth trying to unleash another tirade of words not to be heard by the gentle hearted when she realized that she didn't have a voice. Malfoy smiled maliciously at her and whipped his wand out in an attack stance before Ron could even react.

He murmured a string of strange Latinish words and suddenly Ron fell to the ground defenselessly. Ron was feeling helpless as though he was falling endlessly never reaching the bottom and the apprehension kept growing. Darkness engulfed him as he continued falling.

Malfoy smirked. "That is what will happen to anyone who dares lay a finger on you. Don't think for a second that I'm pleased with the situation but stop being such a baby about it! It will have to happen and you are not going to bring down the Malfoy pride so learn how to behave in our society!" he whispered maliciously.

Hermione stared at Ron emotionlessly and then finally what happened registered. She opened her mouth in a noiseless screech and rushed to his side. She kneeled beside his limp body and shook him trying to get him to come around.

"What the hell did you do to him you ferret?" Hermione mouthed at Malfoy who just smirked and walked away, leaving Hermione alone with the unconscious Ron. Hermione knew it was useless trying to use her wand as she could not actually say the spell, then she remembered her levitation abilities.

"How do I levitate him?" she wondered to herself as she knew she was not strong enough to actually carry him to the hospital wing. She put her hands on his chest and clamped her eyes shut, trying her best to clear her mind of all thoughts.

She imagined Ron levitating, weightless as a feather. She opened her eyes to find that it hadn't worked at all. All she had managed to do was make's Ron hair catch fire. Wait a minute! Oh no...

"What do I do...?" Hermione mouthed out in frustration. She could feel the heat of flames burning her hand but she couldn't let Ron be burned to ciders. Suddenly she felt the heat die out. Ron's hair was back to normal if not a bit charred and more flaming red than ever but it was no longer on fire.

She told herself that she would try once more. This time she didn't close her eyes fearing she would do further damage to poor Ron. She forced all thoughts out of her mind and concentrated but she was having a hard time doing so as she was so aggravated by Malfoy.

Suddenly she came back to her senses when she bumped her head against something hard. Looking around, Hermione realized that she was levitating. Ron was in front of her, his head lolling back dangerously and his legs and arms hanging limply down as he lay in a weird twisted "u" shape.

Hermione dared not look down knowing that her fear of heights would make her throw up. She had not meant for herself to levitate but just Ron. Unfortunately her magic was not cooperating with her.

She then wondered how to move in her levitating form and put a step forward. Immediately she fell, though Ron remained suspended in the air.

Malfoy was walking down the corridor when he realized that he had not lifted the silencing charm and even though he believed that she deserved it, he knew that there would be hell to pay for if his parents found out. Doubling back he was speechless to see Hermione levitating in the air as though weightless with Ron hanging limply in front of her.

Suddenly he saw her take a tentative step forward and as though there was a huge vacuum sucking at her, she started falling at a tremendous speed. With his reflexes that came as seeker, he rushed under her and raised his arms to catch her.

Hermione fell, the wind bite at her cheek when she started falling from the extremely high ceiling. She shut her eyes as they stung from the cold wind. She was worried that she would fall and remain there unconscious until someone came looking for her.

Hermione felt someone catching her in their strong arms. Was it an angel? She turned to see her savior whose arms she was still in when she saw Malfoy looking at her intently. He was holding her gently as though afraid he would hurt her.

They just stared at each other for what seemed like eons, Hermione still being carried by Malfoy. Suddenly he set her down on her feet but still had an arm around her waist to keep her from running off.

"How did you do that?" he whispered, knowing that she couldn't have said a spell and levitated both herself and Ron.

Hermione noticed the difference in his voice, it held no hate or anything but rather a begrudging respect. She contemplated actually telling him then came to her senses. This was Malfoy in front of her. He had his hands all over her. She planted both her palms firmly on his chest and pushed him away.

"Remove the spell," she mouthed at Malfoy. Malfoy sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes before lazily waving his wand to lift the spell.

"Who the hell do you think you are huh? What did you do to Ron? Don't just stand there lift the curse," Hermione said unleashing the tirade of words that had been forced to stay down.

Malfoy knew that she being the tattletale that she was would report him immediately if he didn't undo his spell right away. He waved his wand in a strange cross like motion and said another string of words that Hermione could remember from the back of her mind but couldn't place.

Ron looked around himself only to see a window. "Am I dead?" he wondered as he looked around again bewildered at his surrounding. Hermione pulled her wand out of her pocket and muttered a soft, "Finite Incantem," and Ron floated safely to the floor.

"Mione' what happened?" Ron asked rather disorientated by everything that had happened. Hermione cast a sidelong glance at Malfoy and decided against ratting him out as he had saved her even though her life being in danger was his fault.

"You slipped on something and blanked out," Hermione said and from the corner of her eyes caught Malfoy giving her a skeptical look.

Malfoy was shocked to say the least. Why Granger was lying to her best friend to save his life strangely eluded him. He had caught the look she had given him and had expected her to rat him out and thus he had steeled himself for Weasley's attack.

"Oh never mind. Mione' come on let's go to the Gryffindor common room," Ron said completely disregarding Malfoy, treating him like he didn't exist. Hermione nodded formally at Malfoy before following Ron, having to run to catch up with his strides.

They reached the portrait in companiable silence as both of them were completely occupied with their own thoughts. Ron wondered if he should confess his new found feelings to Hermione and Hermione thought...she couldn't help but think about Malfoy. He had changed, not that much but enough for her to notice.

He was as arrogant as ever but Hermione realized that all those moments that she had been alone with him; he had acted like a perfect gentleman. It had at first astounded her but then she accepted the fact that he had grown up being a gentleman to everyone except mudbloods.

"Strange fetishes," Ron said the password out loud and Hermione arched an eyebrow in question at the rather unapt password. Ron shrugged before muttering a soft, "The fat lady has gone mad I tell you; going on about love and the likes. Strange fetishes indeed."

Hermione grinned at his statement and looked up to see the fat lady being serenaded by ballads sung quite badly by none other than Sir Cadeogan. The portrait swung open and Hermione was taken aback by the darkness in the room. The fire wasn't lit and none of the torches were lighted.

It was as though the room was plunged in darkness. Hermione climbed in after Ron, bumping into him in the darkness and after the portrait swung closed, shutting off their only light source, Hermione had a strange feeling of being watched by many pairs of eyes.

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AN:Ooooohhh...What's going to happen? Guesses anyone??? Hahaha...I don't know what you are thinking and please give me some constructive critism as I really have to pick up on my strength and improve on my weaknesses. Yeah, that's about it. I'm so sleepy...G'nite


	15. Chapter 14

AN:Hey everyone sorry for the long updateless months. I had to study for my exams but guess what, now their over!!! Everyone scream...okay here's the deal, I'll update once every other day, provided I get at least 20 reviews everytime but then, I'll have to scram on the 15th of November cuz I'm touring Germany, London, Paris and New Zealand till the 28th of December. If I get enough responses, I might update everyday...hahaha...yeah, I'm evil but ne ways, just remember it's your motivation that keeps me going yeah.

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"SURPRISE! Happy birthday Mione'!" A crowd shouted as the fire flickered and then came back on. The Gryffindor common room had a banner strewn across a wall with all the pictures of Hermione that was either cut out of their yearbook or drawn. In the middle the words 'Happy Birthday our future Valedictorian' were writing themselves over and over and flashing in different colors.

Hermione looked around her drinking in the sight of all the Gryffindors around her. They all held presents and were looking extremely pleased with themselves. "Oh my gosh, this for me. I don't know what to say. Why? How?" Hermione stuttered as she realized that everything had been prepared for her.

Ron who was beside her draped his arm over her shoulder and smiled saying, "You don't have to say anything, just enjoy yourself." Hermione grinned back at him and then saw that all of them were staring at her intently.

"Err...Let the celebrations begin," Hermione said as she reveled in the fact that her friends actually cared. She looked at the clock and realized that it was only 5.30 in the morning. She turned to ask Ron how he knew she would have been awake at that time but he had disappeared from her side.

Suddenly Ginny extricated herself from the throng and made her way to Hermione. "Mione' why have you been so spiteful towards me these few days," Ginny asked looking at her feet as she shuffled them nervously.

"Like you don't know that I heard you telling Parvati all about my secret," Hermione shot back glaring at her icily. Ginny's arrival had somehow dampened her good spirits as she hated Ginny for telling Paravti about her being adopted.

"B...but I didn't," Ginny said confused. She wondered where Hermione had gotten that piece of information from and what would have caused Hermione to actually believe it.

"Yeah like I don't know you were telling her during the first prefects meeting this year. Right after you promised not to say anything. I was there, remember?" Hermione retorted cattily. Ginny looked puzzled for awhile then comprehension and relief showed on her face.

"Mione' I didn't tell anyone. Not anyone about your secret. I was just discussing the party for you and enlisting Parvati's help. So that is exactly how much you trust me huh?" Ginny said emboldened by her understanding.

Hermione blinked disconcertedly. Everything fell into place. She felt extremely guilty for her treatment to Ginny and opened her mouth to apologize but Ginny cut her off saying, "Save it. Tell someone who actually gives a damn. I can't believe that you didn't trust me," before flouncing off.

Hermione's jaw dropped when she realized how wrong she was. All Ginny had wanted to do was to cheer her up but now...now Ginny hated for distrusting her. "Great, perfect, could the day get any worse?" Hermione wondered to herself.

Harry felt someone slam into him and looked down to see the youngest Weasley hugging him tightly. He smiled, even though she wasn't looking at him and her face buried in his shirt. Suddenly he felt water seeping through his shirt. It was damp! "Shit Ginny's crying," Harry muttered incoherently after realization hit upon him.

"Ginny come with me," he whispered to her softly. Taking her hand he led her out of the Gryffindor common room. Ginny didn't resist allowing her to lead her away from the crush of bodies. Once outside Harry attempted to pull the clinging girl away from him.

"Ginny...shhh...don't cry," Harry said in a loss of what to say as the only time he had dealt with an emotional girl was with Cho Chang and everyone knew how well that went.

Ginny looked up at him, hazel eyes meeting emerald green ones. "Harry...how could she have been so quick to judge me..." Ginny trailed off not wanting to give up Hermione's secret. Harry didn't understand what was going on but nodded sympathetically and hugged Ginny.

Ginny stopped crying, deciding that it was Hermione's loss for not trusting her. She wrapped her arms around Harry's waist and felt herself melting into him. Suddenly there was a huge gasp heard behind them. "Ginny Weasley get your butt here," Ron's shrill voice rang in the air.

Ginny felt someone grab hold of her hand and pull her away from Harry. Ron was livid. How dare Harry touch her even after the threat he had made. He was definitely going to have to contact the rest of the Weasley brothers.

Ginny glared at Ron and stalked back into the Gryffindor common room past Hermione and the bustle of the crowd and into her dorm. Harry and Ron faced off staring at each other. Their friendship of six years yet again being tested by something. "Lay off Ginny ok. She's too young for any of this..." Ron said trying to keep his calm.

"Too young...you jest Ron because if my memory serves me right, you were dating Padma Patil throughout you sixth year and let's see, what year is Ginny in?" Harry said sarcasm dripping off every word of his. He had known Ginny for six years now and was fond of her but ever since the revelation on the train rides, he felt something else for her.

He felt extremely attracted to the feisty female she had grown to be. Ron's expression hardened and he left with a warning ringing in the air, "don't say I didn't warn you."

Harry stuffed his hands in his pocket and turned away from the portrait. If he wanted his relationship with Ginny to be a success regardless of what Ron did, he had some planning to do.

"Hey Mione' Happy Birthday!" Ron congratulated her handing over a box wrapped with shiny material. Hermione smiled at him, and accepted the gift, adding it to the huge pile she had amassed in the corner. She turned back to thank Ron but she saw him walking out of the portrait. Shrugging, she turned around to engage Lavender Brown in a conversation.

"Umm...Hermione did you like the gift," a voice asked from behind her, turning around, she saw Ron standing there, his hands stuffed in his pockets and him looking down.

"Er...I haven't opened them yet but I would be right to hazard a guess at it being a book," Hermione said smiling. Ron looked as though he was about to say something when someone announced that lessons would start in half an hour.

Hermione gasped and her eyes swiveled to the clock. She wondered if that much time had really passed. Scanning the crowd for Ginny, she realized that it was to no avail and that she would just have to sort out that problem later on. Ron had somehow clambered onto a table and was clinking on his goblet with a spoon to get attention.

Soon everyone was facing him and in awhile silence ensued as everyone stared expectantly at Ron. "Well...er, everyone thanks for turning up. Ya'll best leave to get ready for lessons which begin in twenty five minutes," he stammered turning beet red for no particular reason.

"Well...I best be leaving now. See you later guys," Hermione said after finally pulling herself out of the crush. There were choruses of goodbyes following until the portrait slammed shut. Hermione felt her pockets bulging with all the gifts she had gotten. She had shrunken all of them and stuffed them in her pockets and she had lost count of how many she had gotten after fifty.

She walked to the head's dorms smiling and humming tunelessly, as she was born tone deaf. "Miss Grenaldi," a voice called behind her. Hermione wondered who is could be that was calling her so briskly. She whipped around to see a little house-elf, standing at her waist's height tugging at her robes anxiously.

"Yes. Can I help you?" Hermione said in a kind tone, squatting down so that she could look at it in the eye. The elf's eyes widened as though it had never experienced respect like this. Hermione smiled at it.

"Missus, your parents want you to come back home missus. Master says Missus must come with Madame. Madame is waiting in the office Missus. She is telling Pinky to get Missus," the Elf said rocking back and forth on its feet. Hermione's eyes grew large at the news. How could they pull her out of school? Just rip her away from the place she knew as her second home.

"Er...tell Mrs. Grenaldi that this is my home," Hermione said defiantly before spinning on her heel about to leave abruptly when she felt a sudden lunge of weight from behind causing her to fall forward towards Ella Enchanted's painting which swung open revealing an extremely shocked Malfoy who was staring at her.

Hermione landed, cushioned by something or another. She laid sprawled on it for a moment until it started moving. "Hey Grenaldi, I know we're getting married and everything but there's no need to fling yourself onto me. There's time for that later," a voice whispered huskily into her ear.

Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. That was who she was lying sprawled on. Pushing herself up, she looked down at the boy lounging at the point he had fallen looking at her lazily. "Ugg... you're despicable Malfoy. Get your head out of the gutter," Hermione said flaming red at having such things whispered to her.

A constant tugging at her robe brought her attention to the elf that had caused the fall to happen. Hermione swallowed her anger and forced a smile at it. "Yes Pinky, is there a certain reason that they want me back home?" Hermione asked in a calculated voice already formulating an argument as to why she should stay in Hogwarts.

"Madame is not saying. I is sorry Missus but this I have to do," Pinky said before pointing a finger at her. Suddenly Hermione felt herself being drawn towards Pinky while Malfoy watched amused from his resting spot.

He hated her. She was...so Arrghh. There were no words to describe the passion with which he hated her. Smirking at her he propped himself up using his elbows and said aloud, "This seems entertaining enough." he said knowing what was in store for her. He pushed himself of the floor and followed the elf and Hermione who was being dragged along against her will.

He watched her struggle at first then go limp as though she had given up. He itched to beat her up for her behavior the night before. He smirked as her limp body hit a pillar roughly as they turned a corner. "That's got to leave a mark," he sneered derisively.

After the turn, Hermione's mother stood at the opening to Dumbledore's office, wringing her hands nervously and looking ahead as though having been made to wait for long. "Antoinette finally," she gushed when she saw her daughter being dragged along. "Pinky release her." she stated, hardly acknowledging the poor elf, Hermione noticed.

Once the spell was lifted Hermione rose to her feet and faced Pinky who was shivering with fear. Squatting yet again, Hermione smiled wanly at the elf. "I'm sorry for making your job difficult. I hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive me," she said. The elf near fainted when it heard the words coming out of her mouth.

"What nonsense darling, the elf has no feelings, ignore it," Hermione's mother said dismissively and at the same time waving her hand at the elf, motioning it to leave. Pinky disappeared with a pop. Hermione opened her mouth to disagree but was cut of with a smarmy voice from behind her.

"Mrs. Grenaldi. It is so wonderful to see you," Draco Malfoy said cutting in front of Hermione and taking Danielle's hand and slightly brushing his lips against them. Danielle smiled at him. She might not have liked him the night before but she had to give him credit for his charm.

"Miss Grenaldi, a pleasure," Malfoy said turning to Hermione. Hermione's eyes widened. As his back was turned to Hermione's mother, he smirked at her evilly. Hermione's mother made motions to Hermione to offer her hand which Hermione kept pinned uncomfortably to her side.

Malfoy bent down and grabbed the hand that hung stiffly at her side and raised it to his lips while the whole time looking at her and smirking. Hermione tried to keep from blushing when his lips connected with her hand.

Malfoy grinned to himself. He would make her squirm and at the same time gain the favor of her mother. Deciding to make Hermione even more flustered, he parted him lips and ran his tongue along her hand.

Hermione had to use all her self control from retching when Draco's tongue swept over the portion of her hand his lips covered. She inhaled deeply and yanked her hand away from him. Straightening up, Malfoy smirked at her before turning to Danielle and telling her that he knew of the good news and was extremely happy.

This caused Hermione to worry. Something that made Malfoy happy was definitely not a good thing especially if it concerned her. "Er...good news?" Hermione interjected unsurely.

"Yes darling, the engagement has been pushed forward, its one month from now which is why we have to take you home. You have to master etiquette by the end of this month and we have to arrange an engagement party so we need you there. There is no choice in the matter dear." Hermione's mother said sensing that Hermione was about to interrupt.

"You will be living in the Grenaldi mansion and we will close the charmed circle as soon as we get back. Also we have to get you back to how you usually look. Ah...you will have lessons to control your powers off course..." Danielle prattled on excitedly while Hermione tuned out.

The three words that rung in her head were, "Engagement. Next month." She shut her eyes as her whole world whirled around her. She was about to be engaged in a matter of a month. Malfoy smirked at Hermione knowing the emotional torture that she was going through.

"I'm not marrying this...this git!" Hermione exclaimed. Malfoy glared at her.

"Sorry Mrs. Grenaldi, lover's tiff. Let me just apologize," he smoothed over and before Hermione could say anything, dragged her with him around the corner. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" Malfoy hissed.

His grip on her hand tightened. "Leave me alone Malfoy," Hermione hissed back.

"Granger, you don't seem to understand. Our lives are at stake here. This union was not only decided by our parents. Why the hell do you think that they used such a binding spell?" Malfoy near whispered.

He wanted her to know the severity of the issue. He knew that he would be blamed if she continued to protest. And punishment from his father and the dark lord was not something that he enjoyed. "Just play along. After we are married, we'll just ignore each other," he added somewhat to calm her down.

"What d...do you mean? V...Voldemort?" Hermione stuttered, utterly shocked by the news.

"Shut up! What the hell," Malfoy hissed.

"You have to tell me!" Hermione insisted, imagining the worst.

"Granger, your thirst for knowledge as interesting as it is getting on my nerves," he murmured knowing it would get on her last nerve. "I have better ideas on how to spend our last few minutes together," he added, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Malfoy please. I have the right to know," Hermione said rolling her eyes at his ridiculous effort.

"You know enough." Malfoy said with finality and pulled her with him towards Danielle so that she could not continue her tirade of questions.

"All done darling? Well I have settled everything. Professor Dumbledore wasn't too happy but in the end you are our daughter so it is not as though he has a choice in the matter. We're pulling you out of school for good darling. You will be home schooled and sit for your NEWTS later on" Danielle said.

"Goodbye Mister Malfoy, we best be going," she added taking a shocked Hermione's hand.

Malfoy smirked at Granger's shocked expression. The school loving know-it-all would feel ripped apart not being able to attend her beloved Hogwarts.

"But...Mrs. Grenaldi, I...my friends. I haven't packed. M...my studies. My head girl position?" Hermione said losing the ability yet again to form coherent sentences. Her mind was reeling from what was happening.

"Your friends will be informed by Dumbledore; your things have been packed and sent to the manor by now. Your studies will be completed at home and I'm sure Dumbledore will find someone fitting for your former position," Danielle said shortly annoyed at the insolence of Hermione.

"We're orbing, my way of transportation. Hold on tight," Danielle said before Hermione could get a word in edgewise.

Hermione felt her body break apart again but this time it was different. She felt no control over the speed and direction she was moving in. She was moving upwards, as though weightless. The light was blinding and Hermione forced her eyes shut as the wind whipped cruelly at her face, stinging it.

Hermione opened her eyes to find herself among the clouds. It wasn't anything like she imagined. The whole place had a pink hue as the sun was about to rise and the cloud made it seem as though she was moving through snow. Moisture from the cloud stuck to her making it even colder when the wind blew.

Hermione shut her eyes and grit her teeth. She turned her thoughts to the fact that Malfoy and her would be engaged in a matter if a month and the fact that she had been pulled out of school, leaving behind so many loose ends and losing the right to enjoy her seventh year.

She was ready to bet that it was Malfoy who had caused her parents change in mind to hold the engagement after school ended. She felt like breaking down but told herself to bear with it and that she would find a way out of it. She knew that there was no arguing her stay for the month till her engagement but maybe after that...she thought trailing off.

She felt the both of them slowing down and finally they ground to a halt.

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AN:Once again, sorry for the lull in updates. Have fun... God bless all of ya.


	16. Chapter 15

AN:Okay guys here's the next chapter. Well, I need some advice. Should I concentrate on this first and leave the other story : A father's love , alone for a while cuz to tell you the truth, I am leaning towards that story greatly but I can't help but be fond of this being my first fic. Read and review not only this but the first chappie of the other story. Hahaha...Shameless plugging I know. But come on 3 reviews is rather pathetic isn't it?? Scream! Okay. Well, I'll leave ya'll alone to enjoy the next chapter.

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"Antoinette darling...welcome home," Danielle said. Hermione prised opened her eyes and gaped in awe at the splendor and magnificence of her surroundings. They were in a huge room, with a chandelier. She looked up at the ceiling only to nearly faint. There were moving pictures that very much resembled the Sistine chapel.

"Michel Angelo...he painted those..." Hermione murmured forgetting that she wasn't alone. Danielle head shot up to see what her daughter was talking about. "Yes darling. We have no time to lose though...Breakfast will be in an hour. Dress casually. Doreen will take you to your room," she said dismissively as though she had much on her mind and what her daughter thought didn't very much interest her.

At the snap of her fingers, a house elf appeared with a loud crack. Hermione noted that it wasn't dressed in something ragged but in miniature black robe with a strange gold crest on its chest. Hermione observed the crest. It was shaped like a shield with a wand crossing it in front and the letter "G" in elven embossed in the middle.

"Is the elf free...?" Hermione inquired out loud to her mother, wondering if there was hope yet.

"Heavens no. It's their uniform. It is a disgrace to have a free house elf. What does Hogwarts teach you child?" Danielle said not realizing that she was tempting Hermione's anger. "You best leave dear. You only have an hour to get ready," Danielle said before turning on her heels and walking towards the door, her robes following her in a rather Snape-like fashion.

Hermione looked around taking in the imposing room. "Erm... where do we go?" Hermione asked the elf. Instead of uttering a word, it started walking and Hermione deduced that she should follow it.

They walked in an uncomfortable silence, the elf was silent throughout, and pointedly ignoring Hermione's various and multiple attempts at friendship. Hermione decided to shut up after awhile and simply take in her surroundings.

There were many paintings, which had brass name plagues at the bottom and dates dating back to the middle ages. The walls were beautifully wallpapered with classic designs and held a certain antiquity to it. Hermione's eyes widened as she drank in the magnificent place she would now have to call home.

It was not as though she wasn't angry but she was rather caught up in the moment by all the splendor surrounding her that she had momentarily forgotten the rage she felt for her parents.

"Miss Grenaldi, this will be your room," the elf said, though its voice was not squeaky but on a rather low octave. With a wave of its hand, the door flew open to reveal a gorgeous and spacious room within. "If it is not to your liking, Master Grenaldi said to tell them your plans during breakfast and they will hire a professional team to redesign your room," it added with a hint of smugness before turning on its heels and leaving an extremely shocked Hermione behind.

Hermione rushed into her room, her jaw dropped when she realized that it was the most lavish place she had ever been to in her whole life. The first thing she noticed was the sleek black carpeting on the floor. It looked like velvet but was so glossy that Hermione spent a good minute contemplating its material.

The bed was something completely mind-blowing. It was huge; Hermione noticed that about ten people her size could have comfortably slept in it without feeling cramped. She walked over to it and perched on the side, the mattress was soft but at the same time firm. She absent mindedly fingered her quilt that was so soft it felt like feathers itself.

The sheet covering the bed was cream silk. The huge pumped up pillows at the head of the bed were soft to the touch and seemed to contain the sleekest of stuffing. Hermione tore her gaze away from the bed and turned to look at the rest of her room. There was a study table most probably made of the finest wood and embossed with a crest of some sort.

The gentle tinkling and splashing of water reached her ears and Hermione's eyes roved the room for the source of the noise. When she finally sought out the cause of the noise, an involuntary gasp escaped her throat.

There was a miniature waterfall in her room. It was on a rosewood table and the landscape surrounding it was of mountains and there was a river that ended in the waterfall. Hermione stared at it, enthralled at the rainbow of colors reflecting of the obviously magicked surface.

Hermione detected some movement and gaped when she realized that there were miniature people walking around, minding their daily lives.

It was an art piece and at the same time it chilled her, as she knew that nothing could truly be brought to life without the soul of a human to inhabit it. She shook her head, pushing out the dark thoughts and then noticed a door on the wall.

Hermione approached it and threw the door open, half expecting something to jump out at her. It was a closet and Hermione realized that many of her robes and old clothes hung there, most probably having been put up by a house elf.

"Hmm...casually, does that mean jeans?" Hermione wondered aloud as she thumbed through her abysmal amount of clothes. The reason for her to brand her clothes as such was because, in such a huge imposing closet, the clothes hardly took up one tenth of the place. She picked out a pair of jeans and a white button up blouse and brought them out of the closet.

Hoping that it would be casual enough, Hermione pulled off her robes and slipped into the jeans and buttoned up the blouse. She looked in the mirror and realized that her hair was becoming bushier so she pulled it into a simple ponytail.

Deciding that she wouldn't need to put on make up for something casual, Hermione decided that she would just go as she was. Suddenly there was a sharp rapping on her bedroom door.

"Miss Grenaldi. Is you ready for breakfast?" a squeaky voice called. Hermione walked to the door and pulled it open, smiling at the house elf. The elf looked taken aback at her but kept its silence. It motioned for her to follow it and Hermione obliged as it led her down the endless hallways.

Hermione noticed that the house held a certain charm to it but at the same time was shrouded in an aura of darkness. It was as though the mansion was home to numerous dark secrets, swept under the dark and never to be found. On the whole Hermione hated the feeling. She despised the dark arts and she slowly was realizing that her new found family most probably dabbled in it.

"We is here miss. Please come in," the elf announced squeakily. Hermione walked through the huge doors noticing that they were much like the entrance of the dining area which's entrance was a sliding door made of frosted glass. It held the same emblem she had seen in her room.

The house elf disappeared with a loud crack leaving Hermione standing alone in the hallway. Hermione wondered whether to wait or just enter. Throwing caution into the wind, she pushed the sliding door open a crack and edged her way in. If Hermione though that her room was grand, it was nothing compared to what she saw there.

The table that seated 32 took the centre place of a cathedral like room. The walls were made of glass and a large arched door led to what seemed to be a ball room...wait, there was a ballroom. Hermione looked at frosted glass paintings that were scattered around the room. They were moving freely and looked nothing like what she had seen in Hogwarts.

The ceiling was an arch with a huge glass chandelier hanging from the middle of it. The light bouncing off the glass pieces cast the colors of the rainbow to dance across the white marble floor. Hermione gazed through the glass walls in the direction of the ballroom but before she could get a good look, a loud cough caught her attention.

She whipped around only to notice that her father had recently entered the ballroom, wearing a pair of black tailored pants and a silk black shirt. His eyebrows rose when he took in Hermione's 'casual attire' but he decided not to say anything but rather, walked towards a chair and pulled it out looking pointedly at Hermione.

Hermione wondered what he expected her to do. "Do I sit?" she wondered unsure of what to do. It wasn't that she was not mannered, she had grown up knowing her Ps and Qs but this was called high class society, they had a list of rules and mannerisms that Hermione wouldn't even try to understand.

"Why don't you take a seat?" Cameron said after a long silence and after he lost all hope that his daughter might just have manners. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as short lived relief coursed through her veins. She would never admit it to anyone but she was extremely frightened of Mr. Grenaldi.

He was extremely handsome for his age yes but he held a rather eerie aura and Hermione never knew what to expect from him. Predictability in Hermione's books was good, it showed consistency and Hermione hated surprises.

Hermione walked to the chair and stood in front of it. Cameron pushed in the chair, causing Hermione to loose her balance and fall forward putting her hands forward on the tables to prevent herself from hitting the table face first.

Cameron was near snapping at his just found apparently cultureless daughter when his wife's voice wafted through the open sliding door. His head jerked up when he heard her greet a certain Mrs. Finch. It was perfect timing. His daughter obviously needed lessons in poise and manners.

Hermione steadied herself on the chair and wondered what she should do with her hands. Weather to fold them on her lap of let them hand limply. Indecisively, she managed to pull off something in the middle leaving her in a rather awkward position. Mr. Grenaldi, noticing this chose not to say anything but rather, quirked an eyebrow.

Danielle glided into the room with an old rather prim and proper lady trailing after her. The lady's eyes scanned the room and stopped on Hermione, staring intently at her as though assessing her.

"I see that I have much work to do, we will begin after breakfast," she said unsmilingly. Hermione's eyebrows jerked upwards wondering what they had in store for her.

Danielle smiled at her jumpy daughter before sitting down beside Cameron. "Don't worry darling, this is Mrs. Finch, your poise and confidence instructor," Danielle said in a reassuring tone hoping to put her daughter at ease. "Well, let's have breakfast then," Danielle said.

A house elf came out of the side door pushing a silver trolley ahead of it. It held many plates which were levitated in front of everyone. Hermione stared unsurely at the plates wondering if she should start eating.

Cameron picked up a fork and pierced a sausage. After he bit into it, everyone else started eating and conversation picked up as Danielle and Cameron discussed the return of their other two daughters from their private school.

Hermione looked up only to catch the lady staring at her again. She had hazel eyes, devoid of light, somewhat resembling Professor Snape's. Hermione refusing to back down stared back at the woman defiantly. Finally she looked away, Hermione not Mrs. Finch.

She looked at her plate, shuffling the food around mixing the scrambled eggs with the sausages. She wondered what Harry and Ron were doing at the very moment, most probably on a blood lust looking for the person who in their over active imagination had kidnapped Hermione and was holding her for a ransom.

She glanced up only to see Mrs. Finch looking at her in disgust. Realizing that her plate most probably looked like a tsunami had hit it; Hermione wondered what to do to get out of her predicament.

Suddenly, there was a chink of cutlery and Cameron turned towards her, "Is the food not to your liking," he inquired perplexed as to why his daughter was not eating the absolutely scrumptious meal.

"Oh...I'm not hungry..." Hermione said looking very much like a deer caught in headlights. "Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit," Hermione thought to herself, the words forming a mantra in her mind.

"Well, if you are done with your breakfast, may we start," Mrs. Finch announced setting down her cutlery. Hermione nodded tentatively. Cameron rose to pull out Mrs. Finch's chair and when he proceeded to do so for Hermione, Hermione backed up her chair not realizing that he was about to pull it out.

One of the chair legs ended up on his foot but instead of grimacing, he simply held out his hand to help up Hermione who was now in a heap on the ground. Cameron couldn't resist it anymore. He hated his daughter fearing him, as that was only a façade he put up for the public.

As he leaned down to help her up, he whispered a soft, "Take it easy kiddo. Oh and remember casual does not necessarily mean casual." That was when Hermione noticed that her mother was in a two piece pastel yellow blouse and skirt and her father was dressed in what she would consider grand.

The revelation that her father was not a heartless monster came as a shock to Hermione but at the same time, she felt relieved. Cracking a smile, she whispered back, "I'll keep that in mind."

Once Hermione was standing, Danielle and Cameron departed saying that they had matters to attend to leaving Hermione with that stern woman.

Clearing her throat, the woman started. "Well, I'm Mrs. Finch, your poise and confidence instructor. I see that I have my work cut out for me. We best get cracking," she said with a strange Irish lilt.

Hermione nodded awkwardly not knowing what to say. "First lesson, always introduce yourself," Mrs. Finch prompted.

"Oh...er. I'm Hermione Grang- umm...Grenaldi. Though my mother calls me Antoinette...I don't really know about my middle name..." Hermione said stuttering due to her nervousness.

Holding up a hand, Mrs. Finch added, "Lesson number two. Do not prattle on." At that Hermione blushed and an instant dislike for the woman formed in Hermione. She narrowed her eyes and Mrs. Finch trying to show her that Mrs. Finch would not be bossing her around.

"Well, yes. First we have to sort out you horrible posture...hmm, we need some books. Accio books," Mrs. Finch said as though talking to herself. A number of books flew in their direction landing on a neat pile on the table. Mrs. Finch reached for a few and piled them on Hermione's head.

"Now I want you to walk around this room balancing them on your head. Keep your back straight. Don't slouch like some peasant girl." Mrs. Finch instructed as the books landed on Hermione's head.

Hermione tried her best to walk with her back upright and her chin parallel to the ground so as to prevent the books from falling but to no avail. She was too used to slouching under the weight of the books she so often lugged around in Hogwarts. Mrs. Finch gave an exaggerated sigh.

"It isn't that hard girl. Glide, you are weightless. Like a feather, drifting. Close your eyes and envision that, walk, sway your hips gently, look up to face the world. You are radiating beauty and confidence. Believe in yourself," Mrs. Finch said her voice softening.

Hermione forced her eyes shut disregarding how stupid she felt. She wondered why she was being so dormant, instead of fighting for her rights just accepting what was happening. She wanted to do something but at the same time was reluctant to break any connection she might have made with her parents with defiance.

She told herself that she would go to the library to research more on the bond between her and the ferret. Clearing her mind, she let Mrs. Finch's words wash over her, believing them and walking.

"No! No! Don't sway your hips so exaggeratedly, more natural," Mrs. Finch said. Hermione felt her impatience grow. How could they be so superficial to care about what she walked like, wasn't it what her mind held that was of importance?

Hermione was first walking on flat soles and finally got the hand of walking like a lady as Mrs. Finch oh so eloquently put it. Then Mrs. Finch delivered yet another blow. She transfigured a book into a pair of stiletto heels.

Hermione's eyes widened when she looked at them. "Uh...uh I am not wearing those. Those will be the death of me," she insisted backing away from them as though they were deadly.

Mrs. Finch rolled her eyes and with a wave of her wand, caused the shoes to be strapped onto Hermione's feet. Almost at once, Hermione started wobbling in the most comical manner, swaying from one side to another. Then she fell, into a huge heap on the floor.

"Get up! We have no time to waste; we have to cover your posture by today. Move on!" Mrs. Finch said sharply. Hermione bit back the cutting remarks that were at the tip of her tongue. She pushed herself off the floor and walked around the room albeit unsteadily. With Mrs. Finch holding her hands and guiding her, she finally got the hand of it in a few hours.

Hermione managed to walk around the room with grace and poise that although not polished, flaws could not be detected by the untrained eye. "You are a fast learner child but don't let this go into you head. The heels will be attached to your feet from now until you are completely comfortable with them. They will come off a week or so before your wedding.

Hermione gasped. She would have to put up with stilettos for a few weeks non-stop. God save her. "Er...can I go?" Hermione asked, her feet feeling as though they were about to drop off having walked so much in heels.

Mrs. Finch glared at her before saying, "No child, but you may sit, now is time for the lecture. Remember as much as you can. Dinner will be a test."

After waving her wand, Mrs. Finch retreated into the shadows and a screen appeared out of nowhere and a voice started giving out pointers on tableside mannerism. Hermione being the ever diligent student conjured up a quill, a bottle of ink and a scroll and started taking notes.

As the lesson commenced, Hermione took meticulous notes wondering why she was complying so easily. It was as though she wanted to put up no resistance. Shaking the thought out of her head, she turned her attention to the screen as the voice proceeded to tell her what she should do at a formal dinner party.

Finally the video came to an end. In Hermione's opinion, it was rather enlightening as to how she was expected to behave and she realized that she would have to memorize all the French words and their meanings.

"Well, now why don't we go show your mother what you've learnt," Mrs. Finch said, trying to keep the hint of pride out of her voice. Hermione nodded slightly hoping that she would finally get some well deserved rest after the ordeal.

Hermione wobbled alongside Mrs. Finch to the drawing room where Danielle was reading. Clearing her throat to announce their arrival, Mrs. Finch instructed Hermione to walk around the room. Hermione kept in mind everything that she had been taught and steadied herself, walking around the room with as much grace as she could muster.

When she came to a halt, Danielle started clapping. "I'm so proud of you baby. That was a lot of progress to have been made in a day," she praised. Hermione smiled at her mother before saying, "Thank you Mrs. Grenaldi."

At this, Danielle's smile went down a few notches but she picked it up moments later saying, "Antoinette darling, please call me Danielle until you are ready to address me as your mother," coldly. She was hurt that her daughter was not responding to her love with love but rather with indifference.

"Tomorrow we have arranged for a stylist to come see you, he will be doing your hair and picking out a new wardrobe, we can't have you gallivanting around in those rags that you consider clothes. We will be doing the spell to bring you back to your natural form tomorrow morning. Oh yes and Mrs. Finch tomorrow could you got through walking up and down stairs with her? Ah yes that will be all, you may go and do whatever it is that you want to," Danielle said, trying not to show the hurt she felt.

"Who are you to decide what I should do? What if I like the way I look and I don't care how I walk down stairs," Hermione said quietly. She had finally snapped. She had had enough trying her best to be the good daughter and having everyone step all over her.

"I am your mother and your guardian. You will never speak to me like that again," Danielle said her anger evident even in her quiet tone. Her two other daughters daren't speak to her with such insolence. "Your manners are close to barbaric, how can we introduce you to the public in such a state?" Danielle said cruelly, the words meant to cut; deeply.

Hermione simply glared at her, something burning in her to prove herself. "I will be the most elegant, eloquent person you have ever met. Give me a few days," she promised herself, telling herself that she would practice and show this...this woman that she was not barbaric. She would be the talk of the town, known for her beauty, poise, confidence and elegance. All this Hermione promised herself as she walked out of the room, trying to put a lid on her brimming anger and focusing it to the task she had set for herself.

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AN:Sorry for the delay ya'll I can't wait for my trip. 10 more days to go!! Whee...


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